Temporal Curse
by Foolishly Capricious
Summary: NEW DESCRIPTION. Alec is a mysterious young man from a distant modern time. As soon as he somehow ends up in this world without memories and a sudden yet mysterious aptitude in tactics, he is caught up in a war between his small army and tyrants. His otherworldly origins could mean trouble greater than a war between men and the undead however... [MU/Sumia]
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first Fire Emblem fan fiction, but not my first fiction overall. After I surprisingly won a 3DS XL by winning the Pile Up arcade game, I immediately bought FE:A ASAP. Gods, I just love everything in this game (except when the enemies' 30% hit chance actually hits my characters (Freaking Orton on hard mode, killing My Unit with a 29% chance!1)). In the end, I found the RNG a necessary evil in the game.**

**So, this MU will not exactly be the same MU. His lineage is the same, but his origins are slightly different. His name will NOT be Robin, because Robin is the father. He's not Morgan either.**

**My Unit's View**

Darkness. I can only see darkness. Just pure black. Nothing. I can't move, I can't smell, I can't feel anything. Mu. It feels... rigid, yet it doesn't make sense since I can't feel anything. I can only hear my own voice inside my head, but since I can't move, I can't speak. Why am I here? How did I get here? I-I don't even remember what am I, or where I came from.

**"You, Child!"**

A voice? I wanted answers from this mysterious voice. The voice was masculine and commanding. I have a feeling this entity is someone serious. I can't speak...

**"You too have the heart of He, He who ends all."**

What? Don't speak to me in riddles, voice!

**"It is time to arise! Awaken! Why is it you of all people?!"**

I can't speak. Why is he telling me to speak? I can't even see, move, or do anything.

**"Speak, you silent cretin!"**

"W-w-wha-"

**"How long did it take you to speak? Why did you not speak earlier?"**

"Dude, I couldn't even feel anything, let alone speak!"

**"Well then, open your eyes!"**

"H-how-"

**"Do as I say!"**

With strong effort, my eyes slowly opened, revealing a blinding light. I tried closing my eyes, but my left eye closed fully, and my right eye started to feel burning pain, as if a laser pointer was shot into my eye. I covered my right eye with my hand, returning my surrender to the abyssal black.

**"Wake up, now. Wake up from this foolish dream, Son of the Ender."**

What do you mean Ender? Am I some some sort of doomsday device or something? Before I even asked the voice's name, I felt my back gently hit what felt like the ground. Grass blades tickled my arms and legs as I lay down. From a vegetable, to a sleeping man. My limbs felt numb, but I was still glad I'm able to move again. It felt like being released from compressed area. It felt refreshing to be alive again and moving. Better than being in the empty darkness.

The feeling of emptiness was gone, now replaced with exhaustion. I may feel my limbs right now, but I don't feel like moving. I find comfort in this makeshift bed. As minutes passed, I felt my breathing steady. Sleep. It's so peaceful. I just want to sleep right now and wake up in my home. Wait, where is home? What is my home? I don't remember. A few hours past; only dreamless sleep. I felt snug lying on this bed of grass. I thought I was in some sort of purgatory or heaven, but I thought wrong.

"Chrom, we have to do something," a female voice said. The girl's voice is kinda cute, but it's probably coming from a mid-teens girl.

"What do you propose we do?" an older male voice spoke out. Is he the female voice's brother?

"I-I don't know,"

I opened my eyes and saw a girl wearing some sort of yellow Victorian-styled dress. Her hair is styled in two pigtails and her eyes are a faint green. The man standing to her right was a much taller man. This man has a weird fashion sense. He wears some sort of blue royal soldier coat, complete with two white belts forming an "X" wrapped around his right side. A white cape leaned on his left arm, covering his sleeved arm. His right arm is fully bare, with his shoulder revealing a peculiar tattoo. This man has a head of blue hair and his eye color seems to match the blonde girl's eyes, possibly being her older brother.

When they saw my open eyes, both were surprised at my awakening. The girl arced her back, leaning forward to see my face. The blue haired man leaned slightly closer to me to see my face.

"I see your awake now," he said.

I looked at the blonde girl. As noted by her body, she's quite young.

"Hey there,"

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know," he said, "Give me your hand."

He outstretched his bare arm to me. A small detached sleeve rested on his wrists, connected to a gray glove.

I reached my hand to his and shortly witnessed an eerie mark on my hand. When did I get this tattoo? Before I could ponder more into its origins, I was pulled back up on my feet.


	2. Appearance and Identity

**A/N: The Avatar's looks will have a different attire from the usual tactician, but his color scheme will be the same. His build is 01, but he's about 5'6" and his hair is 5, with the color being 09. His face is 04.**

**Also, I'm actually glad to have a good honest review. I swear, my Magi fic had too much compliments. I want to become a better writer, ya know.**

"Are you alright?" The blue haired man said.

"Thank you... Chrom," I replied. Why was this man familiar? I just met him.

A surprised yet skeptical look was on Chrom's face.

"Ah, then you know who I am?" Chrom said.

I scratched the back of my head nervously. I don't remember anything, but I still remember my own antics. Whenever I'm nervous, I scratch the back of my head.

"I... I don't know. Your name just came to me," I said nervously.

"Hmm, how curious..." the blue haired man said as he entered a contemplative stance, "What's your name? What brings you here?"

"My name..." What is my name? Do I even have one? "I don't know... my mind hurts so much."

This place, it felt familiar, but at the same time, completely alien.

"Where am I?" I questioned.

The girl reeled back a bit with surprise.

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" she called out.

A taller man cleared his throat. He's clad in heavy blue armor and has brown hair that is slightly unkempt. He's possibly Chrom's guardian.

"It's called a load of pegasus dung!" he rudely said, "We're to believe you know milord's name, but not your own?"

"Ugh, but it IS the truth!" my mind hurts from this awakening.

"What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave him alone and confused," Chrom defended, "What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

Shepherds. I'm aware of its definition, but why the name Shepherds? Are they herding sheep?

"Just the same, milord," Frederick replied calmly, "I must emphasize caution."

"Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock." Frederick finished.

"Right then," Chrom replied, "We'll take him back to town and sort this out there."

I raised my brow and reeled back a bit from their conclusion.

"Hey! Hey! Why don't I get a say in this?" I replied, "You're deciding what you're doing to me."

Chrom put his hand on my left shoulder; his sleeveless arm's hand.

"Peace, friend" the blue haired man said calmly, "I promise we'll hear all that you have to say back in town."

He turned his back on me and walked down a path. The girl and Frederick followed after him. I've no choice but to follow them. If I don't remember anything at all, I may as well find the closest aid as possible. Chrom and his Shepherds are the closest aid I have.

While I was walking, I decided to examine myself. Their clothing seemed old fashioned, but I don't get why. I'm wearing what looks like a zipped coat or something. It's colored in some sort of royal purple. A straight line dyed in a deeper purple traced along my sleeves. I seem to be wearing a beige sleeveless undershirt underneath my coat. While Chrom and Frederick seemed to be wearing pants made of softer material, my white pants were made of something a bit harder. Chrom and the others seemed to wear boots, but I'm wearing some sort of small shoe, but compared to them, it seemed more alien and colored a much vivid red. The most alien article of clothing is this weird white horseshoe shaped accessory resting on my neck. Two cylinder-like objects with what looked like pillowed ends wrapped around some weird circular object hidden behind a net-like wall. The left cylinder has a cord that connects to what looks like my left pocket.

We kept walking for a few minutes until I halted my steps. The other three noticed it and turned to me.

"So, are you guys vigilants or something? Am I your prisoner?" I questioned with an assertive voice.

"Ha. You'll be free to go, once you're proven to be no enemy of Ylisse," Chrom said with a friendly smile.

Ylisse. That name sounds familiar, but at the same time, it isn't.

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?"

"You've never heard of the halidom?" Frederick questioned.

With a stern face, he clapped sarcastically.

"Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool!"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Will Frederick continue to bash on my skepticism?

"That furrowed brow is especially convincing..."

"Frederick, please," Chrom pleaded in a gentle yet serious voice.

The blue knight cleared his throat and went back to his usual posture: standing straight, with his arms on his back.

"This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is the exalt,"

Exalt... Is he linked to the Exalt? Being called milord means he might be related to Emmeryn. Maybe that tattoo marks exalts.

"I suppose proper introductions are in order," Chrom said.

He put his left hand on his right chest.

"I'm Chrom, but you already knew that," he said.

He looked to his right, looking to the younger blonde girl. She's a bit shorter than me, probably around an inch.

"The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

"I'm not delicate!" Lissa shouted as she raised her fists into the air as she hopped up and down in anger.

"Hmph!" she put up an angry frown with puffed cheeks. I found myself giggling to her cute little outburst.

She looked at me with a reassuring smile, waving both hands, telling me not to worry. By the time her head turned to me, I quickly ended my giggle.

"Ignore my brother. He can be a bit thick sometimes," she said.

She put her hands on her back, but used her hand to hold her other hand as she leaned toward me. She closed her eyes and smiled warmly.

"But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening."

"Shepherds?" I crossed my arms and my face expressed skepticism, "Do you guys tend sheep with swords?"

"Heh, it's a dangerous job," Chrom said with a friendly smile, "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

Wary or Weary? Due to his high skepticism and alertness, I'm guessing it's a fitting nickname for the blue knight.

"A title I shall wear with pride," Frederick did a formal yet curt bow.

"Gods forbid one of us to keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

I'm glad to hear Frederick being less bashy for once.

"I understand, Freddy, I would do no less myself," I replied.

Lissa giggled from my nickname of Frederick. Chrom too stifled a small laugh, but Frederick retained a neutral face. I wonder if he doesn't mind my new nickname? Suddenly, my eyes widened as if something lodged into my brain.

"I remember my name. It's Alec!" That's my name!

I scratched the side of my head.

"I just remembered that. I guess that's one mystery solved."

"Alec. It sounds somewhat foreign, but according to Jugdral history, a green knight who helped Sigurd has the same name as you."

"Interesting... I want-"

"Chrom! The Town!" Lissa shouted in fear.

We all looked to where she was pointing. A small town spewed out black smoke. I could hear some of the villagers screaming in fear.

"Damn it! The town is ablaze!" Chrom said angrily, "Those blasted brigands!"

He gripped his sword handle with vigor.

"Lissa, Frederick! Quickly!" He commanded.

"Milord, what about Alec?" Frederick said.

"Unless he's on fire, it can wait!" Chrom replied.

"Aptly put, milord," Frederick said, complying to the blue haired man.

"Let's go already!" Lissa said anxiously.

"Wait, what about-" They've already ran for the village.

They never told me to stay put. With no time or wish to lie around the grass, I decided to run alongside them. What am I thinking? How am I going to help them unarmed? I need a weapon.

By luck or possibly coincidence, my foot kicked something metallic. In the distance, a bronze sword was set a few meters away. I must've kicked that accidentally. I hurry to it and pick it up. Looking at this sword, I felt a sort of weird affinity with the sword; as if I knew how to wield it.

"Oy, what are you doin' here?" a thuggish voice called out.

I turned to where the voice came from. A man with a savage aesthetic was the voice. He wore some sort of fur shawl with a skull on his head. He wore only baggy pants with what looks like a mug on the left side of his waste. A menacing iron axe is gripped by his right hand.

"That's some interestin' wares you got there. Mind if I take it?" he pointed at what was wrapped around my neck. For some reason, I found great value in this weird item wrapped around my neck.

I looked around to see if there were any other bandits. If there were, I'd have to run away from them and reach Chrom and the others. But there were no other bandits around. I hope Chrom can wait.

I looked at the barbarian and scanned his stance. It seemed savage and mostly focusing on using the might of his axe. Even if I have no memory of fighting, I seem to have a gift of analysing my opponents. Strength is his forte, yet that focus on pure power sacrifices skill and defence. Swords are lightweight, swift, yet sacrifices power. Axes are focused on pure might and due to their weight, can leave them quite open. I don't even remember if I learned to wield a sword in the past, but for some reason, I felt more in tune with the sword.

"Graaah!" he charged toward me with his axe raised.

As he threw down his axe, I simply took a sidestep to his right, immediately dodging his attack. The axe dug into the ground, giving me time to punish him. I swung my sword at his arm, forcing him to let go of his axe. He covered the wound on his arm with his other hand, but he still got up. He continued the battle by using his left hand to fight. This man is truly a savage animal.

"It's already over," I simply said.

He was mostly right handed, so his left hand swing would be much more weaker. He tried to swing as hard as he could with his left hand, but he stumbled a bit as I just took a step to his right. I didn't even need to strain my muscles hard to dodge that strike. Not wanting him to die humiliated, I just kicked his back. He fell to the ground and could barely get up. Before he could grab his axe, I already grabbed it and whacked his head with the flat part of the axe, knocking him out. Without wasting time gawking at his knocked out body, I quickly ran to the village.

"Uraah!"

A blast of electricity hit me. Though it hurt, I still manage to get up fine. That was small damage. As soon as I got up, a youth in a long robe appeared before me, standing from a distance.

"You think you can hit me before I fry you?" the mage said cockily.

As usual ranged fighters go, they have low vitality, defences, and physical strength. He can't move as fast as me, so speed is a key element in this fight.

"Hiya!" he fired a ball of lightning that started out slow, but accelerated fast. It seems to go in a straight line and aimed toward my head. I quickly tumbled on the ground and quickly got up on my two feet. The sound of electricity exploding was heard behind me, and his time to recharge his spell will prove his defeat. He attempted to channel again, but it was already too late.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed.

I took a few quick steps forward and threw a curved swing with the butt of the sword. His tome was knocked away, leaving the mage defenceless. I performed a quick spin and cut at his shins, forcing him to drop to his knees. I thrust my knee into his face, knocking out the young mage. I looked at my bloodied sword and swung it outward, splattering the sanguine liquid out of my already rusty blade. The green grass of the fields were now painted by the blood that was stained on my blade. I look at the yellow tome and took a quick skim.

I remembered I usually don't read books, but for some reason, I can feel the magic power of this tome connect with my body from merely touching my hands. I don't remember if I have touched magic before or not, but I remember that I had an interest in magic, though I don't know why. I thrust my sword into the ground and held the tome with my left hand. I started to read the book and silently chant to myself. As soon as I felt a surge of power inside me, I quickly extended my right hand forward, launching a ball of electricity at a nearby tree. When it hit the tree, the ball detonated an explosion of electricity, immediately burning the tree. I was not only surprised by its destructive capability, but the fact I can use magic too.

"It seems I also have an affinity with magic," I comment to myself.

The feeling of magic just feels absolutely new to me. Even when I instantly learned how to use a tome, it still feels new regardless.

I didn't want any time to waste. I grabbed both tome and sword and quickly headed toward the village. It's time I put this mysterious gift to greater use.

**A/N**

**So, considering what happened in the beginning, I decided to go a bit deeper on the origin of how the Avatar got his two weapons. This idea also lead me to write more on Alec's fighting ability.**

**The tactician comes from a different world, so the interactions with the other characters will be different.**

**Also, Alec is an actual character in the FE series, but he's the Stahl of his game. He has a green color scheme, has the same growths, and uses swords like him, though personality-wise, he's basically Inigo. But this Alec isn't the cavalier Alec. I'll try hard not to rephrase most of the story's dialogue and take my first review into serious consideration.**

**In all honesty, I never played Genealogy of the Holy War, but I was definitely surprised to find out that they had a unit with my name there (Alec).**

**I finished the game twice already in Normal difficulty/Classic mode, but I'm still progressing through the first chapters of Hard/Classic(I really want my Donny to be trained more easily T_T). The RNGs of Hard Mode are just as frustrating as dying during my first Souls game experience (compared to the Souls games, FE is more reliant on RNGs than the latter)**

**I might update fast due to my typing blood being reinvigorated, so you might expect a new chapter in the next 2-3 days.**

**Any comments are accepted (minus spam of course), and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.**


	3. Bandits and Bad Wits

"Chrom!" I shouted, as I managed to make it to the village.

I stood in front of him and brandished my sword.

"What are you doing, Alec? Do you know how to fight?" he asked.

I looked behind me and stared at the blue haired man's face with a stern look.

"Yeah, but don't let my position deceive you, I can help you fight," I said to Chrom.

Chrom nodded without hesitation.

"The more people, the better," Chrom simply commented.

I stared at Chrom's whole body and saw a graph that displayed his statistics. Strength, Magic, Defense, Speed, Resistance, Luck, Skill. Chrom, as most close ranged fighters would, has high strength and defense, but that close-ranged boon was also complimented with decent skill and speed. He has low magic and has low resistance. Being a leader, he seems to prefer attacking alongside comrades.

Frederick is a veteran warrior. He's much more stronger than Chrom, though the latter's potential is much stronger than the veteran.

Lissa seems to be the medic of the team. Her staff is used to heal wounds and as Chrom said, she's quite delicate. Her defences are low, but she has high luck and resistance. Her magic stat is quite high, giving her the potential to cast strong spells in the future. Despite this, Lissa's role as a healer is crucial to keep the team strong and healthy.

"Chrom, stay with me. Lissa, ride alongside Frederick."

Chrom nodded and stayed by my side. Lissa, with the help of Frederick, hopped on his horse. Frederick was awaiting orders.

"Frederick, when I give the signal, come to us," I said.

I quickly went to the brigand behind the food stall and fired a ball of lightning at him with the Lightning tome in my left hand. While he had 0 Resistance, his high vitality made up for it. He still stood up with a bit of effort and charged at me. Chrom managed to get in front of me in time and clash the brigand's axe with his sword. He swatted of the axe, leaving the brigand open to a powerful lunge by my sword. Chrom finished him by cutting his neck with his sword.

"Thanks, Chrom," I said with a smile, "I just wanted him knocked out, but it seems that villager's state was more important."

"Your welcome, now let's move," Chrom commanded.

A myrmidon was behind the other food stand and was planning to strike us. I attempted to strike him with my sword, but his blade was quick, striking my chest before my blade landed on him. I still managed to shrug off the damage, but I'm angry at what he did to my clothing. The wound was shallow, not enough for me to bleed out instantly. I still knelt down from that strike, using my left hand to cover my wound. Chrom managed to get in front of me and parry the myrmidon's next strike. He threw a lunge at Chrom, which only cut at his left arm as he attempted to dodge. He then ended the myrmidon's life with a powerful diagonal slash upward. The swordsman dropped down and lay on the ground, dead. Myrmidons may be quick and agile, but once they're open, their mediocre defence can't handle much punishment. Chrom went beside me and looked at my injury.

"Are you okay?" Chrom said.

I didn't reply. I looked to Chrom's left and saw a Brigand preparing to strike us. I grabbed Chrom and threw him to my left and followed him by rolling toward him. He got thrown a short distance and landed on his bum.

"Fred!" I shouted.

The sound of trotting was heard from a distance. Frederick the Wary entered the scene, jousting the axeman with his silver lance. The brigand's vitality couldn't save him from the sheer power of Frederick's lance. The barbarian died quickly whilst impaled and Frederick kicked the corpse away from his lance. Lissa unmounted and ran to me with her staff. She put her staff on my wound and it healed in seconds. Lissa giggled as she winked to me. I only stifled a small "heh" from her generosity in response. She extended her hand toward me and I grabbed it. She helped me stand back up and I grabbed my sword.

The sound of a charging flame was heard to my left. A mage! I grabbed my tome with my left hand and produced a lightning orb on my right hand. Instead of tossing it, I used it to swing at the flaming orb instead. Both forces immediately dissipated, leaving the enemy mage surprised. I got up and charged toward the mage with Chrom by my side. I reversed the grip of my sword, as if I held it like a dagger preparing to stab. Chrom reeled his sword to his left side, holding it one with his right hand. When we reached the mage, we both swung our swords in a wide arc, which basically sliced the panicking mage in three.

We looked at the bridge: Two myrmidons in the front and two brigands behind them. The leader of the bandits held a different axe than the other barbarians. He held a hand axe, an axe also used for throwing, while the other brigands wielded bronze axes, which can only be used in close quarters.

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse and kill that myrmidon on the left. Chrom, when I attack the myrmidon on the right side with my lightning bolt, deliver the finishing blow. "

"I'm guessing I should just stay here?" Lissa said.

"Duh, you're the delicate one here, right?" I teased.

She puffed her cheek in anger and clenched her fists. I chuckled from her cute reaction.

"Well, follow me. Stay behind and far away from the fighting area and heal whoever's injured after we finish them."

I held my position, waiting for Frederick to attack the myrmidon.

Chrom hitched on Frederick's horse and the great knight proceeded to charge at the myrmidon at full speed. Even a swift myrmidon couldn't outrun or parry Frederick's lance in time as the silver impaler lodged into his upper chest, instantly ending his life. As soon as he was impaled, I fired a ball of electricity at the myrmidon on the right side. The ball of electricity fazed and damaged him heavily, giving Chrom the chance to finish him. He leapt high from the horse and immediately did a plunging slash while doing a series of forward rolls. The myrmidon was immediately cut down.

The two brigands began to charge at the knight and swordsman. The brigand on the left attempted to swing at Fred with his axe, but he already used the handle of his lance to guard the axe swing. Frederick was strong enough to keep his arms stable from the mere strength focused swing of the barbarian. I quickly ran past Frederick and swung my blade at the brigand. While my swing wasn't strong enough to kill him, I held my Thunder tome on my left hand and immediately dropped my sword, giving space for my electric ball. Immediately, I thrust the orb into the savage's wound, immediately finishing him off. To my right, Chrom fell the axe man by himself, shown through the downed body of the brigand. He was wounded on right shoulder, but he could still hold his sword strong.

"Lissa, come here." I called out.

She immediately ran to Chrom and used her staff to heal his wounds. The wound closed in seconds as usual.

"Thanks, sis," Chrom said.

"No problem, bro," she replied.

All four of us heard the scream of the maiden as the leader's axe nearly contacted her throat.

"If any of ya get near 'er, she's a goner," he said.

"What if I do this!"

I fired a ball of electricity at the bandit's arm. The axe flew away a short distance, making him have to chase the flung axe.

"Frederick, defend the maiden, Lissa, retreat a short distance," I said.

"Roger," Frederick immediately trotted to the maiden.

"Alright," said Lissa.

The horseback warrior trotted to the maiden and put up a defensive stance. I'll assume the bandit knows who's a greater threat and won't try to approach Frederick, even if he has a lance. The bandit may be stronger than the others, but Frederick's lance and strength

"Chrom, let's finish this," I said.

"Alright," he replied.

We both ran to the bandit leader and pointed our swords at him.

"C'mon ya bunch of sheep. My boys back home are demandin' sheep meat for dinner. Mind if you volunteer?" he said as he was about to toss his axe at me.

This man may be better than the others overall, but he's still as savage and unskilled as the other axe wielders. The throw was strong, but it wasn't accurate. He managed to grab another axe from his waist and charged at us. He was charging at me at full speed, raising his axe over his head. When he got near me, his swing was quite fast and managed to hit me before I reacted. It was quite strong, but I can still stand up. Chrom sped in and swung his sword in a wide arc, damaging the bandit. With enough energy, I managed to find his weak point. With that in my sights, it was time to finish him brutally.

"Are you scared?!" I shouted.

I leapt high into the air and threw a mighty swing into his left shoulder. The swing was powerful enough to dismember his left arm. Due to the massive damage he sustained, his cut off arm cost him a lot of blood, immediately ending his life.

I panted from the battle. All of those swings and sprints really took a toll on my stamina. Due to my commands, my voice felt a bit hoarse.

"Well, that ends the bloodshed," I said.

"Luckily for the town, we were nearby," said Lissa.

Her eyes sparkled in awe as she held both hands with each other and looked at me.

"But who knew that you can wield a sword and a tome while doing tactics at the same time?" she said with astonishment.

"Well-"

"You've proven to not only be a helpless victim, but a capable fighter and tactician as well," Chrom commented.

"Well then, considering this amount of knowledge in the field, I believe you may have the knowledge of your reason here?" Frederick said with a stern and skeptical face.

"Fred, I know how inquisitive you are, but I swear to God, stop freaking bashing at me," I replied. I'd swear, but only if I'm really angry. I'm just annoyed with Frederick's constant skepticism.

With a sigh and a facepalm, I continued.

"Just trust me, Fred. I've shared all that I know,"

He sure is harsh on me, especially with someone having a foggy memory. Chrom crossed his arms and smiled at me.

"Your fighting spirit to protect Ylissean lives is enough to earn my trust," Chrom said.

My frown immediately shifted into a smile as the man beamed at me as if I was his friend. In fact, our synergy in combat makes it as if we're not only acquaintances, but close friends. Even though I don't have any memory of friends in the past, I still feel like I've made my first true friend ever.

"Milord, are you sure you can trust him?" Frederick said.

Chrom shook his head and pointed at me whilst staring at Frederick.

"Someone talented as Alec is needed in the team, Frederick," Chrom said to him, stern his face was, "Consider the situation in Ylisse. Brigands and bandits run around, splattering the blood of the innocents freely. But Alec's tactical talents have proven to not only save the village, but reduce the Shepherd's casualty count to 0. Do you really want to get rid of someone so useful, Frederick?"

Frederick was silent. Silent, but still standing with a stern look.

"Despite the ambiguous aura of his story, I still believe it," Chrom sheathed his sword and walked toward me.

"Hey, thanks for defending me Chrom, I really appreciate it," I said with a genuine voice.

"So, how about it, Alec. Wanna join the Shepherds as our tactician?"

All of a sudden, my stomach rumbled. Damn, I never minded my own stomach in the heat of battle. Did I even eat before I became all amnesiac? For some reason, I was craving something that felt somewhat alien to this place's cuisine.

"Do you guys have like, fries or fried chicken or something? I'm starving,"

"Fries?" Lissa said with a raised brow.

"What are these 'fries' you speak of?" Frederick asked.

"Even if the memory of my origins are shrouded in mystery, all I can say is that fries are I think crispy potato slices?"

I think I just made this whole proposal scene a bit weird. Damn my hunger and my possibly otherworldly cravings.

"Alec, as much as I want to learn about the food you desire, can you please not change the subject and answer my question?"

"I guess," I said with a smile, which immediately switched to an anxious frown, "But if there are no fries, can I at least have some cooked corn?"

"Ugh, fine, but you're going to have to eat it to go, Alec, we must march back to Ylisstol," Chrom said.

"YES!" I raised my sword in victory.

Suddenly, the maiden we saved and a series of villagers approached us.

"Shepherds, though we are simple folk with simple lifestyles, we would like to invite you to a feast as well as stay for the night," the female villager said.

"My, you look cute," I said to the maiden who was in distress.

She giggled playfully from my compliment. I looked at the other villagers with a smile.

"I hope you guys have cooked corn," I said with a watery mouth.

"Oh and can I have dark meat, medium well, and with no salt," Lissa said as she pointed to the sky.

Frederick smiled and shook his head.

"We appreciate your generous offer, but we must go back to Ylisstol," Frederick said.

"WHY?!" both Lissa and I shouted in unison.

"It's getting dark, and I really want a good place to sleep," Lissa moaned.

"Don't worry, we'll be using twigs as beds and eating whatever's out there," Frederick said with a fatherly smile, "As a Shepherd, you must get used to whatever comes your way."

"Oh c'mon, Frederick. You're making us more weary than wary," I commented.

Pigtails guffawed at my comment, which became contagious to the other villagers. Chrom even slightly laughed from my joke, though Frederick wasn't really laughing. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit from my joke. I think I saw Mr Weary Fred twitch his eye slightly.

* * *

**Forest north of Southtown**

All four of us started walking under the moonlit sky. Through Chrom's negotiating, I managed to grab a piece of corn before heading out, much to Lissa's envy (she didn't garner anything). Even if it was small, it was enough to keep me satiated for a few hours. Because of it being small and a snack, I got hungry again. Lissa suddenly halted and sat on her knees, having a look of exhaustion.

"Hey Chrom, can we set up camp here? My feet are getting tired," she whined.

"Frederick, what do you think?" Chrom said.

Frederick chuckled and held out a flint and a small blade.

After a few minutes, Frederick set up a camp fire. Chrom, Lissa, and I went out to get some firewood for the camp fire. For once, I see Frederick actually excited. Guess he loves to start fires. Chrom headed out to the forest and returned a few minutes later with sliced up bear meat.

While we were walking down the forest, I asked Chrom about his unique sword. It's called the Falchion, a legendary sword passed down to the next royal descendant. Only those deemed worthy by the spirits of the sword can wield it; mainly those of Ylissean royal descent. I was thinking of a sort of sword exchange technique with Chrom during the time we fought the bandits.

"Hey Chrom, did you just use your Falchion to slice up the meat?" I asked.

"Well of course," Chrom said with a proud smile, "I don't have a back up knife."

I hope he doesn't treat it as tool to cut the meat for culinary purposes more often. If I had a legendary sword, I'd only use it to cut the meat of evil.

"But won't your blade dull from needless struggle?"

"Didn't I tell you that it's immune to dulling and rusting while we were talking?" Chrom said with a raised brow.

"Oh yeah," I just remembered that. I really hope he doesn't reconsider me being his tactician if I were to be forgetful like this again. I also hope that he doesn't extend the usage of his sword to a common butter knife or flyswat.

After frying the bear meat, I took a small nibble. While Lissa was cautious of the meat, Frederick didn't eat anything and Chrom simply enjoyed the taste of bear meat. I took a small nibble and absorbed the flavour of the meat. Whoa, this bear meat is delicious! I quickly chowed down on the bear meat like a wild animal, much to the surprise of Lissa.

"How are you able to eat something that tastes worse than old boots?" Lissa said with a twitchy eye.

"At least you aren't eating bugs," I said with my hand in front of my mouth.

Chrom and Frederick chuckled from that moment Lissa had a bug in her mouth during her complaint about the bugs in the night. As soon as the laughing subsided, Lissa turned to Frederick and wondered why he didn't eat any beat meat.

"Hey Freddy, why aren't you eating any bear meat?"

"Well I...I... ate a big lunch before we embarked on this whole quest," Frederick said a bit nervously.

*cough* "Wimp,"

Lissa and Chrom chuckled from my sneaky cough snark at Frederick's unwillingness to eat bear meat. After a huge feast of eating what we had left, the rest of the party decided to sleep. Call me an owl because maybe I'm nocturnal. Either that or this amnesia also has insomnia. I just looked at the sky and marveled at the stars and the moon. The moon is an object of interest to me. I don't know why, but I just really love the moon.

* * *

**30 minutes later**

Stargazing is quite fun, but with no one to view the stars with, I started to feel alone and bored. I decided to examine this weird object around my neck. I looked at the weird cushions surrounding the netted object. It looks like you put these cushioned netted things on your ear and the curved part binds around your upper head. I decided to follow where this cord lead to. I grabbed what was inside the pocket. Some sort of small black square object. There was only one button on the bottom part of the object. I clicked it and revealed an image. For some reason, it was quite surprising, but not too surprising, considering that magic exists here.

"Swipe the screen," I whispered the text out loud.

I swiped my finger on the screen, revealing some sort of series of squares. For some reason, I'm slowly remembering what this is. Instead of looking at the other squares, I reached a sort of menu that showed a list of titles of something. A big circle with a rotated triangle was the most prominent of all the other circles. I pressed that button and all of a sudden, a surge of music blasted my ears. The volume was too loud and the button that made the music play shifted into two mirrored bars. For some reason, this song's rhythm was really catchy. I immediately took off this object and realized that a bit of that loud music was heard from these "objects".

Before they woke up to hear it, I immediately disconnected the cord from the square object, stopping the music.

"What was that? Is some sort of travelling band around?" Lissa asked.

"Nothing," I said, "Just your imagination."

With a yawn, I covered my head with my hood and lay on the grass. It feels pretty cold to sleep without a blanket, but the exhaustion of both battle and walking eventually overcame me, and I soon found myself falling asleep. I hope we can get Ylisstol ASAP. I don't want anymore blisters on my feet, but mostly I want to figure out the mystery behind this small square contraption.

**A/N**

**As mentioned, Alec came from a dimension where it has modern tech ruling over societies past times. Expect him to be a bit curious about the customs in the both the country and continent of Ylisse, with the other Shepherds being curious about his fragmented knowledge of his realm. His ability to see the stats of the opponents is an innate ability that all the Avatars in FE:A have.**

**For ships, I'm actually having a tough time to decide; I just love some of them too much T_T.**

**For the next chapter, I'm going to try making the scene different; have different people come at different times so I don't carbon copy the whole FE script. This means his support convos will be different.**

**I'm going to start something new with my fics. Right now, I have Chapter 3 nearly done, and I'll both finish it and work on the next chapter.**

**Edit 1: I will update at least once a week. I don't care what day. Just as long as I feel like it.**

**Comments are greatly appreciated, and I hope you have a good day/evening.**


	4. Rising Action

**Chapter 3**

Rising Action

**A/N: Here's another chapter. I don't own Fire Emblem and if I did, I would have redone Lissa's confession quote (Gawds, it's horrible)****.**

**A certain guest makes an early arrival and we learn a bit more about Alec's kinda capricious yet messed up personality.**

I wonder if that bear meat had some sort of sleeping drug. It took Frederick's fisticuffs to wake my sleeping body up. I opened my eyes and saw Frederick about to throw his fist. When he saw my eyes, he helped me up on my feet.

"Alec, finally, it took not only noise, but also slapping from Lissa, and my fists to wake your up,"

"What happened, where's blue boy and blondie?" I muttered.

"They're in the forest! A group of savage soldiers are attacking us. Grab your weapon and assist us in battle!"

I grabbed my bronze sword and Thunder tome and hopped on Frederick's horse; too tired to run. I thought there was a forest fire, but a crevice full of lava made it as if the forest was burning. If it was, all of us would have died in flames.

We managed to reach Chrom and Lissa, who were running away from a group of soldiers with an inhuman aura. These people seemed more savage and evil than those bandits we faced. Their faces expressed more of bloodthirst than thirst of gold and valuables. Their lack of audible speech makes it clear what these are. Even if I have the term in my head, and I didn't even know where I got it from, I just shouted it out.

"Zombies?!" I said with wide eyes.

"Alec, what are these 'zombies' you speak of,"

"Well, I don't remember where I learned of it, but all I know is that zombies are basically the living dead who prey on the living,"

Frederick scanned them. Their skin seemed old and decayed, and some of their skin is shown to be peeled off.

"They look like reanimated corpses, that's for sure..."

Yes. Zombie massacring is probably the best kind of massacring. Scratch that **IS **the best kind of massacring. They're just completely mindless and killing them isn't so remorseful. It's like euthanasia all over again, but you can be as bloody as you want.

"Let's bathe in their expired blood, Frederick," I said as I raised my sword.

I scanned the area and spotted an abandoned fort. That fort can provide some much needed defence.

"Frederick, transport me to that fort and take care of that Mercenaries to the east,"

Frederick nodded and trotted to it with haste. When we made it, I hopped off and approached the gate of the fort.

"I can take these Fighters to the south, Frederick, those mercenaries won't be much of a big deal with your lance,"

"Aye, sir," he continued his journey to the east, disappearing into the forest.

The fighter units may be slightly similar to the barbarians, but they are much more balanced than the more offensive focused barbarians.

I stood on top of the wall of the fort and saw Chrom fighting a zombie fighter. Lissa stayed close to Chrom as she can't fight.

"You fighters need to relax on a chair," I said as I charged a ball of electricity.

Due to having a sword advantage, Chrom managed to damage the fighter effectively, making my E-tiered tome kill the axe fighter in an instant.

"An electric chair."

What is an electric chair? Why did I even say that? Good thing I didn't shout that out, otherwise it would get really awkward, and what I remember from zombie invasions, you should never be idle.

"Chrom, Lissa, come to this fort and fight the incoming hordes," I called out, "I'll provide artillery support in case these guys get in your way (I hope)."

With that said, they both ran to the fort. As I predicted, zombies attempted to attack them. For some reason, I have knowledge of some advanced bombarding technique from a misty source in my brain; I just hope that I can control the path of the electric ball. I read the tome, but was saddened to realize it was meant to re-enact a horizontal thunderbolt, as you were suppose to launch it forward. If that's the case, then I'm going to have to gain high altitude. Only problem is, who the hell is going to boost me?!

"Is there anyone aside from Frederick who can toss me up high?!" I shouted to the skies.

"Teach knows a thing or two about TOSSING!"

Suddenly, a pair of muscular arms tossed me high up into the air. I looked down and saw a half naked muscle man with spiky blonde hair. He had some sort of cocky smile.

"What the hell?!"

Instead of complaining any further, I decided to act quick. I flipped backward, making my belly point toward the ground. I was pretty high up in the air, so I had enough air time to fire a few electric balls. There were a group of five risen; mostly composed of mercs and archs; short terms for Mercenaries and Archers. After I tossed four balls at them, a Merc carrying a Steel sword was left. I suddenly felt a huge surge of energy, an energy that's 3x more powerful than my usual attacks.

"Cry more, casual!" I shouted in a slightly insane tone.

I placed the tome underneath my left armpit and used both hands to launch the lightning orb. As I let out a mighty battle roar, the orb shot out of both palms. It accelerated faster than the normal lightning orbs I toss. It hit so hard that the merc was maimed horribly by the sheer power. The recoil of the spell was strong, knocking me backward and away from the fort. I think Chrom can take care of that.

I really didn't think how I could land safely. Holy shit, I'm going to die painfully. With that, I screamed loudly, thinking I'm about to die. I clenched my eyes, not wanting to see myself tumbling on the ground. Looks like that I inadvertently paid death a get out of jail card (whatever that is), because someone managed to grab my body and cushion my fall. I heard an "Oof" noise as my flight immediately halted.

"Whoa!" a more mature and tomboyish voice said, "Are you okay?"

I suddenly found myself in the arms of a red armored knight, sitting underneath a tree. I thought it was a male, but realized her feminine musculature.

"If you weren't screaming like a girl, I would have let you die," she said with a pained groan, "What's your name? What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm Alec, and yes, I am affiliated with Chrom. Who are you?"

"I'm Sully, I'm also a Shepherd like you. Good thing I made it in time to help a fellow ally," Sully smiled confidently. Even if she has the hair of a tomboy, she sure has the body of a woman. She has too much skin showing. She's quite charming in her own way.

When she realized me gawking at her body, she immediately dropped me on the ground, but not without being seen with a shade of pink on her face.

"Why are you starin' at me like that, perv?"

Due to me being saved by her, I got up first and offered my hand. Instead of swatting it off violently or grabbing my hand, she politely declined.

"Nice try, princey, but I'm a strong independent-"

"Woman who need no man?" I finished. Where did I get that quote from?

"Whatever," she got up and was about to head to her horse, but I halted her by standing in front of her.

"Wait, Sully, don't go yet," I commanded.

"Who are you to give me orders? Are you trying to hit on me or something?" she said sharply.

Look girl, you may have a sexy body toned by combat, but I'm in no way interested in falling for you. You're just not feminine enough to be around.

"He's our tactician, Sully; a talented one if I can add," Chrom called from the wall of the fort.

"Oh yeah?" Sully said as she turned her head to me.

"Why don't you prove it?" her smile basically invited a challenge.

I looked at a bunch of mercenaries about to attack the "Teach", who stood in front of the fort alone. He wielded an iron axe and the mercenaries wielded powerful iron swords. "Teach" might be my ally and he'll most likely die from those three mercs. While they're zombies, they seem to have the battle performance of soldiers. I looked at Chrom, who was on top of the wall and exhausted from all that running.

I noticed how Frederick attacks with his lance while horseback. He sometimes commanded it to leap forward while landing on its front legs, letting the rear go forward a bit. I wonder if Sully knew that technique.

"Okay, Sully, can you do a jumping attack with your horse?" I asked.

"Like what Fred did? Yeah," she replied.

"Okay then, do that same jumping attack with your lance on the mercenary in front. I'll use the raised rear of the horse to jump off and do a dropping strike on the other one behind the one in front," I said.

"Well, you've got a pretty sharp mind and a thirst for risk," Sully confidently smiled again," I'll do it."

I turned to Chrom.

"Hey Chrom, weaken the first mercenary to your left so that Sully can finish her off."

"I can do that," Chrom said with a confirming smile.

"Sully, wait for Chrom to attack the mercenary, then you deliver the finishing blow," I said to Sully.

"That I can do, hoods," Sully said.

I climbed on her horse and she charged toward the first mercenary. Chrom managed to do a plunging attack, weakening the mercenary. Mercenaries have high stats all around, meaning they have vitality strong enough to withstand at least two strikes from a bronze lance and at least two strikes from Chrom's falchion. When she reached a certain distance, her horse leapt high and she lunged her lance into the merc's head, instantly ending its life. Luckily for Chrom, he hopped back before he would get caught in Sully's warpath. I hopped off and performed a front flip before plunging my blade into his arm and shoulder, splitting the zombie's arm in two.

"Look's like Teach just got tenure!" he shouted.

He leapt up high, raising the axe above his head and dropped it down on the disarmed (literally) zombie

As the Red Knight kicked off the zombie's head off her lance, she cleaned her lance with a cloth from her pocket. The Risen was still alive, managing to stand up at a weak pace. I grabbed my sword and was about to attack, only for the zombie's head to be impaled again by an iron arrow, finally ending its life.

"Haha, a true legends finish," some sort of French (I don't even know what that is, but I just suddenly described it as is) accented man said.

"Hey, who are you, Frenchy?" I asked the man with the French accent. That man wore some sort of French styled archer attire with a head of blue hair.

"Frenchy? Are you from Chon'Sin, young man?" he said as he was about to point his arrow at me.

"What?! Just state your name and your purpose here, stranger, and maybe I'll start," I put a thumb on my chest, "I'm Alec, tactician of the Shepherds and also thanks for helping us finish those zombies."

"Pleased to meet you, Alec. I'm Virion, the Archest of Archers,"

A disapproving stare was my response, with a pinch of one eye twitching. Gosh, or in their case, Gods, this guy is unbearably annoying. Virion walked toward me and gently pushed me aside. I realized he was approaching the red haired Sully.

"My my, a radiant beauty graces my eyes in this flaming battlefield," he suddenly summoned a rose from his belt, intensifying my twitch.

"I believe your name is Sully, no?" Virion asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"My, such a wondrous name for an elegant lady," he knelt down to the ground and presented her the rose, "My dear Sully, will you marry me?"

I looked at Sully's armored boot preparing to kick the archer. I quickly ran toward them and I accidentally took the blow for Virion. The kick was strong enough to launch me slightly. After a second, I was on the ground.

"Hey pipsqueak, why'd ya protect this honkey?" Sully asked, visibly angry.

"I just wanted to scold Virion instead of having a violent conclusion," I said, "Also, he may be kind of a sleaze, but he's still my brother-in-arms."

In secret, I actually saw Virion's potential of being one of the strongest ranged fighters in the team. It would suck if I overlooked his potential. Also, this technique can be useful to keep my allies safe. I'll delve into this technique at a later time.

"Alec, such a noble act for a man I just met," though his accent usually mistakes him for being a romantic, this is probably the most genuine thing he would say. I guess underneath his attempts at romance, he might have potential for some honorable and noble actions in the future despite his dumb flirting.

"Bros before Hos, Frenchy," I wheezed, but not without doing a thumbs up.

"You callin' me a ho, Alec?" Sully said in a threatening voice.

She was about to throw her leg at my crotch, but Virion took the blow for me. The kick was strong enough to launch the Archest archer into a tree as if he was an arrow being launched by a bow.

"What the hell, you guys are already friends this quick?" Sully said.

"Instead of questioning about our friendship, how about we go back to battle, madame?" Virion said in a raspy voice.

Suddenly, heavy breathing was heard in the forest. A mighty axe was tossed from the darkness of the forest. Sully managed to get in front of us and sustain the blow. For a female, she was quite sturdy, but it still took a great toll on her health. I already saw Lissa running to us, aiding the damaged cavalier. When I looked back at where the axe came from, I suddenly heard a pained shriek.

Out the forest came Frederick the Wary, using his horse's helmeted head to shove what looked like the leader. He wore a savage mask and a muscular half naked body. His hair is wild and extends to his lower back. From the looks of it, Frederick has put a few deep lacerations on the zombie chief in exchange for some scratches on his armor. Sully used her remaining strength to skewer the feral leader with her lance. While her lance didn't cause enough damage, he was still stuck and attempted to struggle out.

"Lissa, heal us please?" I said.

With a cute wink, she stood on one leg and bent her other leg as she raised her staff. A green light shone over me, Virion, and Sully, healing us of our wounds. With regained strength, Virion and I stood up and prepared our ranged weapons. Sully's grip on her lance strengthened from her recovered health.

"Virion, with me," I said as I held out my tome.

"Hmm!"

We both stood back to back. His left hand extended outward, extending the string of his bow; an arrow chambered between bow and string. I pointed my right hand, summoning a series of magical text around me. Both of us pointed at the skewered zombie chief.

"Guess this finishing blow will be good for musicians?"

"I concur, friend," Virion said.

"In the count of three, we both say "Bingo!" right before we fire," I said with a smile, "You know, for the bards?"

Are they those travelling musicians?

"Very well," Virion confirmed.

I was already too impatient to count.

"Ah screw it. Three."

**"Bingo!"**

"Wait!" I think I heard Sully shout.

Both lightning orb and arrow flew at equal speeds and quickly ended the beast's life, shown through massive electrification and being shot straight into the head. After its defeat or I think his? Well after it got defeated, it just immediately evaporated into purple mist. Guess they're kinda like zombies, but minus the whole body bag work. I looked at Sully, hoping she was okay. I just remembered I used an electric spell while she was wearing metallic armor. Uh Oh.

"Sully, are you okay?" I asked.

Sully... thanks to the electricity, it caused her already spiky hair to spike out upward then all around. Both Virion and I had widened eyes. I tried hard not to laugh, but a certain teen beat me to it.

"Oh Gods this is golden," Lissa commented as she continued to lose her sides.

With her laughing, both the archer and I laughed extremely hard and let loose our sides. Both Virion and I dropped to the ground, but I added more emphasis on the hilarity by bashing the ground with my fist. This laughter was short-lived as we both were introduced to each of her fists.

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Both Virion and I had eye bandages from the punch we each received from the Crimson Knight, or what she prefers to be called: The Woman to End all Men. Lissa used her staff to heal whoever had injuries left. Much to my impatience, she still hasn't come to us. Good thing that Lissa knows how to sew; she managed to mend my jacket after it got cut by one of the axe men back at Southtown. If I were to be in a public place right now, then I would have immediately took off my coat, but it's just too cool to be thrown away.

"You think that was totally worth it, Frenchy?" I asked.

"Though I usually don't like laughing at maidens who accidentally look silly, it was quite worth the laugh," Virion replied.

We heard a low growling noise behind us. If it was Sully, then Virion and I had to run for the hills. Instead of fists, we were introduced with pats on our shoulder.

"Hey, I can handle some electricity, but I gotta admit, that was a stylish finish," Sully admitted.

"Heh, thanks," I said.

"Looks like we've cleared most of these "zombies" as Alec would say," Frederick commented, "But that youth with the mask has took care of the rest of the beasts."

A blue haired youth wearing a butterfly styled mask approached us. I looked closely and realized that he may or may not be a she. Either he's extremely skinny, yet toned, or IS a toned girl. That sword he er um she, I mean he carries something that looks similar to Chrom's sword. Despite my analysis, I decided to keep silent about this. His aura is scary.

Lissa approached him and smiled at his face.

"Thank you, you saved me from those "zombie" thingies," Lissa said gratefully.

"Zombies?" he questioned, "What in Naga's name is that? Who came up with that idea?"

I put up my hand awkwardly. The masked man looked at me, and I think I saw her- I mean him, grit his teeth with anger. The expression was set aside as she looked at Chrom. Does she, I mean he, bear any ill will toward me?

"Well, we're glad you helped us kill these zombies," Chrom said gratefully,"I am Chrom. What's your name?"

"Just call me Marth," he said a bit coldly.

"Marth? Are you really the hero-king of the olden days? Your swordsmanship nearly parallels that of the hero-king." Frederick asked.

"I'm not here to talk more about me, this event is but a prologue to what's to come,"

With no hesitation, Marth walked into the forest and disappeared into the night time's darkness. Chrom attempted to chase him, but I held his shoulder.

"Chrom, as much as I want to chase he- er, him, we still need to get back to Ylisstol," I said.

Chrom raised his brow from me calling Marth a her.

"Did you just call Marth a her?"

"I don't know, but that body seems too feminine to be a male," I should've stayed quiet.

"I guess it doesn't matter for now," Chrom said. The blue haired man stared at Vaike with a skeptical glare.

"Vaike, what are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be at the barracks?" Chrom said. He dug his ground into the earth and crossed his arms.

"Well, Teach volunteered to join in Sumia's test flight with her recently found pegasus, but I fell into the forest. Good thing I wasn't too high, otherwise I'd have been dead meat. I managed to survive by single handedly killing these zombies or whatever." he shrugged.

"What?!" Chrom said.

"Well, I saw Sumia actually fly away from the forest safely before these Risen suddenly came from nowhere," Vaike replied, "She couldn't help me because she had no weapon at the moment. Not like the Vaike needed help or anything."

"I'm surprised you actually didn't forget your weapon, Vaike," Sully commented.

"Oh this," he raised his axe, "The Vaike beat up a Risen with his fists to get this axe."

"Or you just found it in the fort?" Lissa said with crossed arms.

With a sigh, Chrom grabbed his sword and sheathed it into his scabbard.

"Either way, good work on managing to kill a few zombies, Vaike," he started walking, "You and Sumia are going to have a word with me when we get back to Ylisstol."

* * *

**Ylisstol, a few hours later.**

After a few hours of marching, it rewarded us with the introduction of a bustling city. Ylisstol, capital of the country of Ylisse, as well as most of the Shepherds' home. According to Virion himself, he came from Rosanne, which is probably the French country. With a childish "Ta-da!" Lissa introduced me to Ylisstol.

Ylisstol is bright and full of joy, shown through the villagers. On a hill, a castle rests, probably where the ruler resides in.

"Welcome to Ylisstol, Alec," Lissa said with her ever-present smile.

Thank goodness that the zombie outbreak didn't spread to this bustling city nor did that large quake affect the town in anyway. Every villager seemed quite happy and joyous. I don't know why, but I'm starting to regain my past memories as easy as carrying 10 tons of lead. I remembered being in a city similar to this, though people seemed to be a bit more distant. I don't know why exactly.

"Good thing those "zombies" didn't come to Ylisstol," Frederick commented.

"Yes, or it would've caused some big problems," Chrom said.

I was still intrigued with this mysterious device. I connected this cord again and put on the sound medium as I would call it for now. Even when I was surprised from the loud volume, I found myself loving loud music. I could barely hear anything around me. Perhaps that's the purpose of these cushions? To suppress noise from other noises to bring my music listening experience to the fullest?

I couldn't hear the crowd's chatter, nor the Shepherd's speaking, but I did see a man pointing to someone as if they were important. I can't read mouthing, but I think one of his speech said "Your Grace"?

It seems something important is happening. I took off my musical mediums and turned off the music.

"Hey, Chrom, what's going on?" I asked, "Something about, Your Grace or something?"

"Yes, my sister has visited the village," Chrom said, "She's the Exalt, but is known formally as Your Grace to the public."

"Lady Emmeryn rules over Ylisstol and the halidom of Ylisse," Frederick said.

"For a ruler, I find her to be quite charismatic with not only royalty, but to commoners as well," I noted.

"Em is a paragon of peace, earning her the much needed respect for all citizens in Ylisse," Chrom said.

She looked slightly mature than Chrom and also carried that same tattoo or brand that Chrom has, this time, on her forehead.

"Hey Chrom, I'm guessing you're royalty too, considering you have the same brand as her," I said to the blue blood, pointing at his right shoulder.

"Yes, the brand we carry is called the Brand of the Exalt. Those who have it have the Exalted blood flowing through their veins," he said, "Because of this, only those born in the Ylissean royal family can only wield the Falchion."

I turned to Lissa, who stood on my right side.

"Hey Lis, where's your brand?" I asked.

She sighed and looked away with a sad expression. I'd be so surprised if she actually said her brand was somewhere near her chest. Gods, her chest is flat. How old is she? Why am I thinking such perverse thoughts?

"Mine hasn't surfaced yet," she had a sad tone in her voice.

I didn't know what else to say. I hope not having her Mark surfaced won't affect her whole psyche. Most of all, I just hope that her silly and happy-go-lucky attitude isn't a mask of someone who's desperate for her mark to be surfaced; her mark being her identity.

"It will come in time, Lissa," Chrom said with a confident smile, "You don't need a mark to prove you're my sister."

"Thanks, big bro." She seemed a bit more happier from her brother's comment.

"I'm guessing the Exalts were renowned Heroes in the past?" I asked Frederick, who towered most of the army.

"Yes, in the past, one of Chrom's ancestors saved the world using the power of the Divine Dragon to foil the Fell Dragon's plan to destroy the world," he turned to look at Emmeryn, followed by royal knights while she waved at the public. I think all of the citizens smiled at her arrival.

"Her wisdom, endurance, and gentle yet peaceful persona is a representation of the peace the Exalted ancestors fought for."

"So, how is a peaceful ruler going to fare against Plegia?" I asked Chrom, "Oh and sorry for not addressing you formally earlier, especially when you told me about Falchion."

"It's okay, a friend like you doesn't need to to be too formal. Same for Lissa, too," Chrom scratched his head, "You know, for a tactician, you're quite forgetful, but we shouldn't digress your question."

While we were marching to Ylisstol, Frederick and the rest of the Shepherds educated me in not only the current situation, but also Plegia. These Plegians are kinda douchebags from what I heard. The king is sending bandits to invade our towns, just to instigate a war. Those guys at Southtown were no exception. Why does he even want a freaking war?

"Emmeryn will speak with the king; try to reason with him to stop his little invasions," Chrom commented.

Emmeryn then started to head toward the palace. Chrom started to follow her and soon, Lissa and Frederick did.

"Now that Em is heading back to the palace, wanna pay her a visit?" Chrom said with a smile.

"I guess, she seems like a nice person."

I would say she IS, but I've never personally met her, yet at the same time, she felt I've met her before. I guess it's time to expand my social barriers.

**A/N:**

**Oh no, the Shepherds have referred to the Risen as zombies, and it's all my fault.**

**So Vaike makes an early appearance. Also, he didn't fist fight a fighter to get the axe, he just found it in the fort.**

**A bit of Alec: He seems to always want to be flashy, especially with finishing moves.**

**Alec may suffer from insanity, or could just be severe ADHD (Uh Oh).**

****Alec's friendship with Virion made him develop the dual-guard technique.****

**Gameplay wise, I always try not to ignore Virion as much as possible; he's one of my favorite units in the game. Vaike too, but I always pick that floating armor with a spear over them. I never knew we had a poltergeist in my team.**


	5. Crush or Crash?

**Little Tip about Alec: He's easily attracted to girls, but has a hard time talking to them.**

"Welcome back, brother and sister," Emmeryn said as she greeted her two siblings.

Frederick and I stood by their side. I lazily put my hands in my pocket while Fred did his usual pose.

"I'm glad you're safe on your mission," Emmeryn said, "Also, thank you Frederick, for keeping both of them safe."

"Your welcome, Your Grace," Frederick proudly said.

"We wouldn't have done it without our new tactician friend, Alec," Chrom said.

Emmeryn stared at me with some sort of interest.

"So you're Alec," she said gently.

"Yes," I replied, "Is something wrong, Your Grace?"

She closed her eyes and giggled from my formalities.

"Any friend of Chrom or Liss is also a friend of mine," she replied, "I'm sure Ylisse is indebted to your actions."

"No need, Lady Em," I instantly closed my mouth for not calling her formally.

She shook her head with a smile, making that apologetic feeling unnecessary. I think she really is a paragon of peace.

"Hey hey, don't feel ashamed, Alec," she said calmly, "I'm your friend too, and I really don't mind if anyone called me Em."

Frederick cleared his throat.

"Your Grace, forgive me for interrupting, but Alec claims to have lost his memories."

I don't hate you Frederick. I know that you're concerned for Your Grace's well-being and you're doing your job as a knight, but your constant bashing has to end sometime. Just trust me, please? I kept a stern face as to not make a scene.

"It may be possible he's a Plegian spy or mole, using this amnesia as a ruse,"

I was about to shout back, but blue blood beat me to it.

"Frederick!" Chrom shouted. The blue knight nodded.

"Chrom, do you trust Alec? Enough to let him in the castle?" Emmeryn simply said.

With a confident smile, he replied: "Yes. His tactical mind and altruistic will is enough to gain my trust."

I widened my eyes and crossed them as I turned away.

"I- I'm not altruistic," I said.

Lissa laughed and patted my back.

"Oh, do you even know what that means?"

"Yes, it just means being selfless," I replied, "I have amnesia, Lissa, not permanent brain damage."

"How informal..." a knightess with white hair said coldly.

Emmeryn giggled lightly from my self-denial, much to the surprise of that knightess.

"Alec, you remind me of a very stubborn Chrom when he was a kid, she said, "It's as if you guys are two halves of a better whole."

It was Chrom's turn to be embarrassed. Lissa, that knightess, and I giggled from his embarrassed face.

"Sis!"

"Peace, my brother," she said, "I trust Alec if you too trust him."

"I also thank the guardian who sternly watches over my two siblings," she said to Frederick, "I hope they express gratitude to you through the days."

"They show me gratitude one way or another, Your Grace," Frederick said with a curt bow, "Commander Phila, you've spotted those grimly creatures, Alec deems as "zombies", around the borders, correct?"

Phila, the white haired knightess nodded.

"Yes, we've reports that these "zombies" are all around Ylisse," Phila commented.

Emmeryn looked to Chrom.

"Chrom, we're holding a council right now," she said, "Do you wish to join?"

"Yes, of course," Chrom said as he walked alongside his big sister. Frederick walked alongside with him and Phila followed after them.

The leftover people were me and Lissa. She had a strange smirk on her face.

"I guess this is my cue," she said in a suggestive tone.

"Er... um, I CAN'T DO IT WITH MINORS!" I shouted, attracting the attention of the guards.

Lissa was visibly flushed from my outburst. Immediately, she grabbed my hand and dragged me to the exit. Even for a little lady, she sure was strong.

"Waaah! Where are you taking me?" I said in a panicked voice.

"There's a place I wanted to show you," she said, "But first..."

Still caught in her grasp, I just let her drag me to wherever she wants me to go to. I hope it's not the brothel or the alleyway. What in the hell am I thinking?!

* * *

**Shopping District**

Lissa dragged me to a clothing deparment market in Ylisstol. There were many people walking around, talking, laughing, or otherwise buying clothes.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

"Well, that accessory thing on your neck made me think you like fashion, so I decided to invite you to get a bit of a new wardrobe," Lissa said.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked.

"I'm thanking you for helping us Shepherds twice, so just leave the expenses to me," she winked.

"Well, I am quite conscious of my fashion, so..." I did a fist pump," Let's do this!"

If there were travelling musicians, I want them to play some sort of fabulous musical theme right now. Wished I could use these musical outside noise filters, but it would be rude to the bystanders doing their business.

I found myself having a fascination with anything green and black. While we spent a few minutes browsing what I wanted, I finally decided. I remembered seeing a hint of Frederick's clothes underneath his armor. It seems to resemble some sort of butler or manservant? Well I don't care, that stuff looks pretty suave. I feel like Lissa is my mom, and I'm a whiny kid asking for a toy.

"Hey Lissa, can you buy me that suit?"

A mannequin about my size was clothed in a green dress shirt and a black vest, complete with a black tie with green intricate arrow designs. The black suit pants seemed cool too, and the belt was actually fitting; the buckle had some sort of golden skull.

Both of us walked to the curator of the clothing stand.

"Hey mister, I'd like to buy that whole suit for my friend," she pointed at the green suit that I wanted. He looked at it then looked at me.

"Hey, are you Alec, the tactician of the Shepherds?" the curator said.

"Is something up, sir?" I asked, "Because, yes, I am."

"Then you're the one who saved Lucia, my daughter in Southtown!" he said in a joyous voice, "You can have this suit half off as thanks."

"We'll take it!" Lissa said gleefully, presenting a pile of golden coins.

"This will do, thank you for visiting Lissa," he said, "Hey, Alec, maybe you want to have a drink at the alehouse sometime?"

"Maybe sometime," I detest drinking, but I don't want to say that out loud to hurt his feelings, "I have other places to attend to."

I waved back at him as we left the clothing store. I carried the suit in a bag.

"You know how you're royalty, right?"

She nodded with a curt "Uh huh."

"I'm guessing you're a bit of a Social Butterfly around town?"

"Well, I do like to hang around villagers. They're much better friends than the usual aristocrats," she said, "Nobles are usually boring and serious almost all the time."

She said the latter with a bored expression.

"I can't agree more."

I noticed the blonde pigtails stare at the bag I was carrying, holding the green suit.

"Hey Alec, is there any special occasion you're saving that suit up for?"

"I just really liked it," I replied.

"Oh really?" Lissa smirked, "Are you saving it up for Lucia's hand in marriage?"

I blushed and twitched from the latter.

"H-hey! I just met her, and this is crazy!" I said.

"But here's your debt to pay," Lissa said as she presented a paper with the price of the suit, "So pay back, maybe?"

I swear, I think we just slightly modified an annoying song from my past. It's still blurry, but I can tell it's quite annoying. All of this annoyance was shown through a single eye twitch. I think Lissa noticed it.

"Something wrong, Alec?"

I shook my head and put up a sincere and casual smile.

"Going back on topic. When I actually start getting paid for being the tactician, maybe I might pay you back" I replied. I widened my eyes, "Wait, where am I going to live?"

"Just leave your housing to us, but you still have to pay your own expenses," Lissa said.

"Does that mean I'm going to live with you guys in the palace or something?"

Lissa did that mischievous smirk once again.

"Maybe, but on one condition," she grabbed both of my hands. Is she being too direct?!

"You must marry into royalty~"

I was nervous from her directness. It's too early! Suddenly, I got my composure again and gently swatted off her hands.

"It's too early for us to actually be committed," I said with a cold tone.

"Aww, I wanted to be the one to tell you that!" she whined.

"Hey, what can I say?" I said, "I'm a master tactician."

A pinch of pride was added to that tone. Though I usually try to be humble almost all the time, I like enjoying the small things by having some pride in what you've done.

Coincidentally, we reached a shaded glasses department and I grabbed some and put it on.

"Deal with it."

"That will be 450 gold for the Wyvern Aviator Shaded Lenses," said the stand manager.

"Fine," I said, "Lissa, can you pay for this?"

* * *

**Shepherd's Garrison**

Geez, I think I remember the pains of shopping with a girl, as if it was a common problem men face in the past. Either way, I didn't buy too much as to stack up my debt. Lissa bought many girly things, but I don't want to get into detail with girly things. Luckily for me, I heard from Chrom (through a messenger) that I can stay in a room in the palace with no need of marrying royalty. In your face Liss!

Well, luckily for us, our shopping ended and we reached the Shepherd's barracks.

So our team roster consists of me, Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Virion, Vaike, Sully, and possibly that Sumia person that Vaike mentioned during the Risen invasion.

"Welcome to the Shepherd's HQ!" said Lissa as she raised her arms, presenting the barracks.

There were a few members here and each of them were doing something to kill time. Virion attempted to court Sully again, and Vaike was talking with some sort of brown hair girl in armor. For armor, it's quite revealing. Her armor is small and if I looked a bit closely, I can see that she's wearing a sleeveless dress with a short skirt underneath the small armor. She wore elbow long gloves, also covered with armor. The most alluring part were the garterbelts spanning from her short skirt and into a pair of knee-high boots. This lady sure has a body.

"Lissa, my treasure, are you alright?" a high classed female voice spoke.

A blonde wearing a pink horse riding uniform ran to Lissa. The thing I find the most confusing about her is that she carries a dumb pink parasol around. What's the purpose behind that?

"I've been waiting for so long for you," she said.

"Maribelle, you don't have to worry," Lissa comforted her, "I can handle a battle with the other Shepherds by my side."

Her smile faded into a discomforted face.

"Though the bear meat and bugs at night are exceptions,"

Maribelle looked at me with a glare.

"Where did you get those bags?" she asked in a cold tone.

"I went shopping with Lissa? Got a problem?"

She was clearly miffed from my mere speech.

"You shouldn't talk in that tone to someone of high class!"

I shook my head.

"It's about the heart, not the exterior, madame," I patted my chest with a fist to emphasize it.

"Hmph,"

Lissa turned to me with her ever-present smile.

"Don't worry, Maribelle may be cold, but she'll warm up in time,"

I don't know about her, but I just don't see any charm from her at all.

"So, where's captain?" Sumia said Lissa.

"He's just in a council with big sis," she replied, "Why do you have such a deep concern for him?"

"Well um uh. Is there anything wrong with being concerned for your leader's safety?" she responded nervously.

"I'm just teasing, Sumia," Lissa said.

"So, who did you invite from shopping?" Sumia asked, noting the shopping bags we both carried.

"Allow me to introduce you to Alec," she said as she presented me like a museum ornament, "He's our newest addition to the Shepherds. Not only is he a great combatant, he's also an awesome tactician."

"Tactician?" Maribelle said, interest in her tone, "His aesthetics are rather unique and interesting. Where does he hail from?"

"He may be a great tactician, but he has no memory of his home."

"I see."

I turned to Sumia.

"Were you the pegasus rider that Vaike talked about?"

"Um, yeah, I found a new pegasus and wanted to practice how to use it with someone riding with me, but the pegasus didn't really like Vaike and knocked him off," she said.

"Where's the pegasus?" I asked.

"It wandered off after I landed it," she said with a sigh, "I tried chasing it, but I tripped before I could hitch on."

Her eyes started to water. She's quick to jump to conclusions. I just backed away slightly from her emotional moment.

"Oh, I'm so pathetic," she cried, "How was I even able to enter the ranks of the Shepherds?!"

"From what I heard, Fumbles," I said, "It's voluntary, meaning you choose to join."

"If that's the case, why did you join, Alec?" Sumia's tone was now curious than sad. Talk about bipolar.

"Well, I have two reasons. One, I kind of have a thing for slashing enemies with a sword, and two, I have no other great purpose that can use my mysterious yet powerful gift of strategies."

Sully entered the scene, shaking off some of Virion's saliva from her fist after punching him in the face.

"He's actually quite the tactician to be honest," Sully said.

"Teach doesn't need anyone to give him orders," Vaike said cockily.

"He's also quite the fighter too," a certain bold leader's voice called out.

Behind me, Chrom and Frederick entered the scene.

"Captain!" Sumia walked toward her, but she tripped and fell on her face.

"Oooh, do you need Lissa for that, Fumbles?" I said, concerned for her possibly damaged face.

Chrom knelt down and helped her up.

"Are you okay, Sumia?" Chrom asked.

Both man and woman stared at each other. Sumia's face was redder than Chrom's. Is Chrom oblivious of her obvious infatuation?

"Yes... I mean no. Err... *Sigh*,"

She got up and dusted off the dust on her armor.

He walked toward a map that showed what looked like the continent of Ylisse. He placed a pin on the middle part of the Southern part of the continent, possibly where Ylisstol is. He placed another pin on what looked like a wall that extended from the Eastern coast to the West coast of Ylisse.

"Tomorrow, we march to Regna Ferox and request the assistance of their forces," Chrom announced, "The Plegian Army is too large for us and the Ylissean forces to deal with, so we need the manpower of the Feroxi to aid us in case Plegia's forces attack us prior to Emmeryn's parley with the king."

He looked at me and nodded.

I went up to the board and stood by Chrom.

"As you know, this is our tactician, Alec. He will be in charge of giving us orders on the battle field," Chrom said, "He's proven to not only be good at tactics, but he's also a capable fighter fit to fight alongside us. Any questions?"

Sumia's hand was up.

"Does Alec's voice hurt most of the time after battle?"

"Yes, yes it does, Sumia," she's kind of annoying, yet she's so cute. I might have to use my tactics to keep Chrom and her close in battle.

"Anything else?"

"Where did you find him, Chrom?" a mysterious voice said.

"We found him laying down on a field of grass near Southtown," Chrom said, "His origins are unknown, but he still participated in helping us drive out Plegian brigands."

"Wait, who said that?" I asked Chrom.

"I'm not sure. Stahl?"

No response from the crowd.

"Excuse me, my fellow comrades," a mature female voice called out.

A red headed woman in mage clothing suddenly came in.

"I've a query to request from our new tactician," she said, "What is that object resting on your nape?"

I examined what she was looking at.

"I'm not so sure, but I'd explain it some other time," I said, "We should prepare for our march next day."

"Very well," she said, "I'm Miriel. Salutations, Alec."

"Good to be met, Miriel," I said.

* * *

**Ylisstol Palace**

For the rest of the day after the barracks meeting, I decided to hone my swordplay a bit. Frederick suggested me to repeat a simple technique over 100 times . I think it's to promote my muscle memory or something? Either way, mastering the basics unlocks the potential to infinite amount of moves I can experiment with. I much prefer the sword than the tome because I usually detest range abuse. But at the same time, I also want to use stronger tomes to use more magic. That way, maybe I can find cooler ways to attack from afar, or use it in conjunction with my swordplay.

It was already late, and I was very exhausted from swinging my sword 459 times and counting. How do I remember that? With that, I walked over to the bathtub of the Royal Ylissean palace. Only problem was, I don't know my way around here. I saw a soldier on guard by the window.

"Excuse me, sir," I asked, "Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Yes, it's a few doors to your right," he said, "You won't miss it by its water drop sign."

I walked to where he directed, but not before thanking him. He nodded and I proceeded my journey. Realizing that something was missing, I quickly ran to my room and grabbed a few change of clothes and walked to the bathroom.

I opened the door to the bathroom to find a certain lady putting on what looked like a robe. Her blonde hair extended to her waist and she had a petite yet perfectly toned figure. I realized that I was too busy gawking at her features, I forgot about her gaze. I looked up slowly and saw her face.

"L-Lissa?!" I shouted.

Her cute eyes dilated from my accidental perversion and she was about to scream. I ran to her and slammed the door behind me. I managed to cover her mouth, but I slipped and we both fell into the ground. I hope no one heard that. Scratch that, a lot of people DID hear that.

I was immediately surprised when I saw my other hand touching her underdeveloped breast, causing her to scream through my mouth.

"Lissa, this is not what it looks like, okay?" I whispered loudly, "Calm the hell down!"

"MMMMPH!"

"I just want to take a bath," I whispered, "I'm freaking dirty from training!"

It took her a few minutes to calm down, but this time, I heard distant running steps. Calmed down, I look at Lissa.

"Here's the plan."

* * *

**A few minutes later**

The footsteps got closer and closer. The door flung open as a worried Chrom violently entered. A few guards followed him in case this was a baited ambush.

"Lissa, is something wrong?"

Lissa was blushing madly, hugging herself as to keep her bathrobe up. Good thing for Alec, he managed to hide himself in the soapy bathtub. He tried his hardest to hold his breath and close his eyes.

"N-No, I just slipped," she said, "It was embarrassing to be fully nude and laying down on the floor."

A "bloop" noise was heard from the bathtub.

"What was that?" Chrom said, shifting his head to the bathtub like a cat hearing a loud noise.

"The water's just draining, Chrom," Lissa said.

"Thank the Gods," Chrom said, relieved that she wasn't raped by an assailant, "Just be careful next time."

The blue haired prince exited the bathroom, leaving the blonde haired lady alone to dress up.

* * *

**Back to Alec's view**

When I heard the door close, I shot my head out of the water and breathed in as much air as I could. Thank goodness I got naked and managed to hide my clothes by the corner near the door.

A smirking Lissa was what I was greeted with. She still wore her bathrobe, but still had her hair freely flowing. She looks so beautiful without her pigtails, but her cute face gives her a mixture of cuteness. Her smirk just made her looks more like a mischievous succubus with A-cup breasts.

"You're gonna have to do something for me if you don't want me to tell everyone about your little scandal," she said mischievously.

"Alright, go for it," I said.

"You have to go on a date with me~"

"What?" I said, "Look, I'm in no way interested in-"

She breathed deep, calling for Chrom.

"Okay, okay," I shouted.

I really don't want to go on a date with her. She's just too bratty and mischievous. She pranked me with a frog being put on my back. I have an abnormal fear of frogs, causing me to faint from absolute fear by the mere contact of it.

"Hey, you took me back on that frog incident," Lissa said with a puffed cheek.

"I just wanted to take a bath, you loli!" What the hell is a Loli?

"And this was an accident," I said crossing my arms, "I never intended to peep you or do anything indecent."

With a sigh, she just nodded.

"Alright, alright!" she said, "I guess it's not fair if it's an accident."

"Also, get out of here!" I said covering my pectorals, "You're talking to me while naked, and I need a bath, so just get out!"

"Fine, geez!" she said, "But you have to look away, I'm changing."

"I know."

As I lay in the bathtub, I just realized how all of this couldn't have happened if I only shut the door and waited outside. So much for master tactician.

* * *

**Alec's Room**

After my shower, I decided to wear that t-shirt with Ylisse's crest on it. I wore a new pair of cotton pants and sandals. These would be my pyjamas for when I sleep. When I went back to sit on my desk. Huh? My latest book on strategies is missing. I wanted to look for it, but I was already tired out. I surrendered to my bed and veiled myself with the blanket. Tomorrow is a big day, and I hope my sleep won't be interrupted.

**Dream World**

While dreams are a place where unimaginable things happen, my dreams are no exception. I found myself in some sort of altar or something. I was wearing my hood and in front of me was Chrom and some other weird dude using dark magic to clash with Chrom's Falchion.

Chrom did an upward slash while the other mage did an overhead swing of dark magic. Light and darkness grinded at each other, and I wasn't in the scene. I pull out my palm and I saw the series of circles and text surround me. A beam of lightning fired out of my hand, piercing through the mad man.

"Urgh, my son, why would you join these simpletons?" he growled.

"You're no father," I replied.

"Wait, are you really my son?" he questioned.

"How should I know?" I replied.

I grabbed my sword: a sword with a zig-zag blade shaped like a lightning bolt. Despite this, it mirrors the straightness of a normal sword.

"You're not my son!" he said as if he discovered something, "You're my grandson! You've the same potential to sacrifice yourself to become a god, my grandson!"

"A god? Why be one when you're surrounded with great friends?" I grabbed my sword and impaled this man in the chest.

I pulled out my sword and backed off from the man. Chrom stood back with me too and smiled at me.

"We did it, Alec," he said.

I suddenly saw the sorcerer charge a large dark ball of energy and was about to toss it at me. I quickly grabbed Chrom and pushed him to the left, dodging the black orb.

All of a sudden, everything turned white.

The background changed, and this time, I was in the middle of that same burning forest where those zombies attacked. Suddenly, I saw a group of zombie cavaliers not riding on horses, but wolves.

"Holy Shit!" I shouted, "Zombies riding on wolves?!"

* * *

**Reality**

"Gwah!"

I woke up to the morning sun... and an unexpected guest.

"Lissa?" I said, wiping my cheek as if it was bitten, "Also, why does my cheek hurt?"

"Well, I did that rubbery thing on your face to wake you up..."

"What?"

"Also... aside from telling you to wake up, you know that new book on tactics you had?"

"Did you do something to it?" I was visibly angry, causing Lissa to tremble.

"Er um... Can you not be mad please?"

I realized that I was about to shout at Lissa angrily. I also realized I've been too hard on her ever since she put that frog in my coat. I guess I got to take it easy on her.

"Fine..." I softened the expression on my face.

"Well, I tried to doodle on it with pen, but the ink spilled and it kinda messed up the whole book."

She clenched her eyes, bracing for my angry shout.

"Idid'treallymeantodoit, I'msosorry!"

I was fuming inside, but I tried my hardest not to burst out. I reeled in my lips and twitched madly. I think Lissa was a bit creeped out by me restraining my anger.

"Deep breaths," I said as I inhaled and exhaled.

"It's just a book, maybe I'll improvise on the battlefield," I said, "All's forgiven, my friend."

"Oh, um, okay," she said, relieved that I didn't outburst, "Phew."

**A/N**

**My first few chapters may have mostly comical scenes, but by the time it progresses, Alec's story will start to get more serious.**

**Alec and me both have serious fear of frogs. I can take looking at an image of a frog or looking at it behind a glass, but when someone presents me one up close, I just run for the hills.**


	6. Walls

**Chapter 5**  


Walls

_We were doing so fine. My strategy was to go through the left side and clear the enemy with each one of our people. Stahl, a late Shepherd, went first, slashing the first brigand in the front lines. I sent Chrom to finish the brigand and sent Sully with Frederick to defend them._

_The axe man on the other side managed to reach Stahl, but he was able to take one more blow before exchanging with a strong sword strike. I managed to finish off the brigand as Stahl had to recover. He went to Lissa, who healed his wounds. I then ordered him to move forward alongside the others. The mercenary he faced was more than enough, brutally wounding him. He tried to counterattack, but his sword missed._

_"Shit, Stahl, get back!" I ordered._

_The horse also suffered from a wound; a wound on his leg. I tried to help, but soldier's iron lance was plunged deep into my chest. I couldn't send Lissa, otherwise she'd die from a swarm of Risen. Sully lunged at the Mercenary, but he still survived and threw a brutal stab to her horse. Chrom dealt the final blow, but then more came in. If only Stahl had damaged the barbarian, then I would have set up a defensive position. The lance users would have died to Vaike, but he forgot his axe._

_"Stahl, Sully!"_

_"Alec... I'm so sorry that I'm so weak..." Stahl said sadly._

_"No! Get up, Stahl!" I pleaded._

_The swarm was too much for us to handle. I should have thought more carefully._

* * *

"Stahl!"

I woke up in my own tent at night. Everything was dark. It must be nighttime right now, so maybe I should hush my voice. I still wore my pajamas from the time I slept in my own personal room in Ylisstol palace. I got up, feeling groggy, yet not enough to fall asleep in due time. I remembered that we just did that mission without any casualties. Damages were quite high, but no casualties. I smiled, relieved to know that it was real. The dream. No, the nightmare, felt so real.

I grabbed the iron sword I pilfered from a Risen and went outside. Ylisstol was known to be humid, even at night, but being near Regna Ferox meant that the climate would soon change. Drastically.

Chrom assigned Stahl as the early morning patrol much to his discomfort. I saw Stahl patrolling the area, sword in hand. He had a bronze sword like me, which made me worry about next mission. I walked to Stahl slowly and called him with a hushed voice.

"Stahl!"

The green knight turned to me and quickly identified me.

"Alec, why are you up so late?" Stahl said, "Did a nightmare wake you?"

With a sigh, I replied back.

"Actually, yes."

"Can you tell me about it?" he said, "If you need a friend, you can always come to me."

I went to him and handed him my iron sword. I was really worried that the same thing that happened in my dream might happen to him in the next mission. If I remembered clearly, I selfishly held the iron sword for myself.

"Stahl... I had a nightmare about you dying during the northern road to Regna Ferox," I confessed.

"Oh... I'm so sorry to hear that," he was a bit nervous, "How did I die?"

I told him about the events of my dream, leaving the green knight in surprise from the gory details. Even if we just met at that battle, I just couldn't stand actually watching a stalwart comrade die in my hands.

"Even if I want to hone my swordsmanship, I'm putting your improvement above mine," I said, "I want you to train your precision and reaction speed, Stahl."

"I'm guessing I died due to my sluggishness, huh?" he said with a sad tone.

"Yeah, you're a strong person, excelling most of us in pure power and defense, but you still need to be more evasive if you want to survive more," I patted him on the shoulder, even if he was a bit taller than me, "Can I count on you?"

Stahl seemed confused at first, but he smiled confidently.

"You can definitely count on me, Alec," said Stahl.

I smiled and wished him good luck on his patrolling. I walked around the tents and silently scanned them to check if any of them were alive. To my relief, everyone was fine. Everyone slept well and soundly, though I did hear Lissa sleep talk a bit.

I was still not sleepy, so I decided to experiment with my music mediums again. I chose a random song on my list of music.

"Happyville?"

I clicked the screen and played a soft theme. It felt nostalgic for some reason. The track's melody was soft and gentle, but at the same time, merry and jolly. It felt like I haven't listened to this for so long. This was enough to get me to shed a tear on my eye. Where did such good music come from?

* * *

**Tomorrow**

"Alec~" a voice told me to wake up.

It sounded cute and sweet. Lissa?

"Alec, Chrom told me to wake you up," I opened my eyes and saw Sumia, without her armor and in her one piece combat dress. She looks much more attractive without armor.

"Oh, Sumia?"

Hello, Co-Captain Alec," she saluted, "It's time we start marching right now."

"Co-Captain?" I replied, raising my brow.

"You know, you're basically the second leader of the group, considering you're a tactician," she said.

"I see."

I got up from my little portable bed and took off my pajama shirt. I thought Sumia would have left already to tend to the others' needs, but when I took off my shirt, I realized she was still there. I felt a warm feeling on my face and covered my chest. Sumia nervously exited my tent.

"Sorry."

* * *

**Hours later**

During our travel, we managed to encounter that lost pegasus that Sumia was looking for. The pegasus just sat in the middle of the field, grazing the grass around her. When Chrom attempted to touch it, he was knocked back. Sumia intervened (entered with a trip) and calmed down the pegasus. We left her to take care of it, saying she will catch up with us soon.

Right now, we're near the border of Regna Ferox, shown through the snowy weather. When Lissa and I went shopping, I bought a purple scarf. I've a serious fashion sense for various situations. Everyone still wore armor, but Lissa and I chose out scarves for each person. We had one vacant, though we forgot exactly who.

"Brrr... it's cold," Lissa said.

Stahl walked up beside her.

"Stand near my horse, you'll be warmer that way," Stahl said.

She giggled before pinning herself to the horse. Stahl smiled happily as she saw her get warmer. Do I have to worry about this? I feel like a dad for some reason. Foreshadowing?

"So Alec, how come you prefer using magic with close combat techniques?" Miriel asked.

During the last battle, I fought together with Miriel and I did a spinning slash into a lunge with a lightning ball.

"I'm kinda bitter with indirect combat," I commented.

"Aren't you our tactician? You must always consider the more effecient route to success, no?" Miriel commented.

"I guess," I replied, "Mirel, since you're more experienced in magic, can I learn a bit of magic from you?"

"What do you wish to incorporate into your brain, Alec?" Miriel said with a smile as she presented a book.

I got out my own Thunder tome from my winter jacket.

"Well, I've always wondered if you can control the path of the lightning ball summoned with this Thunder tome," I said as I stared at the book, "Is it possible to control its path?"

"Why yes, but it's quite difficult even for a magician like me to control the path of the elemental sphere," Miriel said, "Have you rolled a spherical object before, but the object slowly turns to another direction rather than going straight forward?"

"Uhhh... Yes?"

"Okay then..."

* * *

**Feroxi Wall**

Hours and hours of lecturing from the living dictionary, Miriel, and I actually managed to control the path of my lightning ball. I wanted to learn how to use it in close combat more properly and Miriel said it was possible to bend the shape of the orb and hold it like a dagger. I tried to do it, but it proved too difficult for me to accomplish. Miriel herself can do it, but she has no close combat prowess.

"We're here, the border between Regna Ferox and Ylisse," Chrom said.

He turned to us with a stern look.

"While we have a large force, we're only excluding one person from this battle," Chrom said, "Alec, you decide the team formation and give us a plan."

"Alright," I said.

"We fight just in case parley is ineffective," Chrom said, "We have to set up a battle formation and strategy just in case."

I scanned the wall. The people with ranged weapons prepared their weapons and aimed carefully at us.

"Halt! Who dares approach Regna Ferox?" a female knight in dark green armor said.

"I'm Chrom, crown prince of Ylisse and we request an audience with the Khan," the prince replied.

"Prove it, underling," she said, "Are you really a part of the Exalt's bloodline?"

"My mark on my right shoulder proves otherwise," Chrom replied.

"It can just be any tattoo," she said with snark, "Ooh, I'm the Queen of Valm, so maybe I should talk with the Khan."

Wow, she's sarcastic and snarky. There's a word for that: bitch.

"Let us in, please," Chrom said, "We need an audience with the-"

"Silence, die!"

A hail of javelins and arrows was about to drop on Chrom. A white flash grabbed the prince, leaving a feather. The feather is too large for a bird. A pegasus? Sumia!

"Are you okay, Captain?" Sumia said with a smile.

"Thank you, Sumia," Chrom said as he unsheathed Falchion, "We've got a battle to win. Let's go!"

There were two doors on the east and west parts of the wall. Both of them guarded by Feroxi soldiers. Two archers and two soldiers on the east, two soldiers, a mercenary, and a knight on the west. Also, I think I saw a man in orange and white armor, or it might be the snow messing with my eyes.

Sumia wields an iron lance and rides on a pegasus. She's quick, yet delicate. Arrows can quickly kill an aerial unit like a pegasus quickly.

"Alec, considering our numbers, we have to leave one out for now," Chrom said.

I looked at Virion and sighed a sad sigh.

"Sorry buddy, as much as your strong, a strong magic cannon is needed at the moment,"

"Alright, if my tactician says so," Virion replied with a smile.

"Hey, Chrom..."

_"Hitch on Sumia's horse and attack the first soldier,"_

_This voice sounded like me, but at the same time, I didn't even say that. I might be going insane._

"Let me ride on Sumia's pegasus," I said, "Go to that man in the orange armor near the archers and convince him to be on our side. He looks like an ally."

"If you say so, Alec."

I equipped my sword and pointed to the soldier in the distance.

"Guys, since this isn't an intended battle, we must not kill the Feroxi, just incapacitate them."

"What's your plan, hoods?" Sully said.

"Sully, just aim for their limbs," I said, "We won't have Feroxi support if we kill their guard."

"I'll try not to kill them," Sully said with a confident smile.

"Hey, how about me?" that same voice from the shadows said.

"Who said that?"

I looked in front of me and saw a tall orange and white knight clad in heavy armor.

"This is Kellam," Chrom said, "He was in the Shepherds, but we forgot."

"Either bad leadership, or he's just not assertive with his presence,"

"I think I just don't speak loud enough," Kellam commented.

Poor him. He's the loner of the Shepherds, and what's worse is that he's oft forgotten by the Shepherds. He needed to be put up with someone.

"Sully, stay by Kellam's side," I commanded, "He can provide you bulky defense."

"I don't need someone protecting me, Co-Cap, but I still need some extra subduin' power,"

"Trust me, friend, I'd rather see you alive," I said calmly, smiling warmly, "Now go into the front lines!"

Stahl, Vaike, Miriel, Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick were left. I should put Stahl up with Lissa after seeing her interaction with him.

"Lissa, hitch on Stahl's horse," I said.

"Gotcha!"

"Vaike, go with Miriel, be the second lead attacker,"

"Teach likes the sound of that."

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse and take the front line," I said.

"Wise choice, Alec," the blue knight replied.

Frederick and Kellam took the front lines, absorbing the damage and allowing the other less armored ones like me to attack. Sumia and I subdued the weakened soldiers swiftly, while the others did their job well. Sully managed to accurately hit their arms and legs without killing them. Stahl was bloodied, but he still tried his hardest to dodge incoming attacks. Lissa was there to heal him whenever he gets even more bloody. Vaike and Miriel proved to be quite an effective team, fusing brute force and focused magical attacks.

We managed to subdue the first garrison; Frederick taking the door key from the soldiers. I told Frederick to go to the door and open it for us. An armored knight greeted the horseback knight with an iron lance. Frederick attempted to guard, but Chrom, who stood beside him, parried the strike with his Falchion and attempted to throw a swing with his sword. The armor barely dented, but the knight was slightly knocked back.

"Vaike! Subdue the knight fighting Frederick and Chrom," I said.

"Gotcha," he said as he ran to the knight.

He ran recklessly to the knight, causing his hip to be cut by the lance. Though Vaike felt the pain, he could still react with an attack of his own. He grabbed his axe and chopped down the wooden handle. Good thinking, Vaike.

With this, Miriel saw an opening for her magic. What knights lacked were magic resistance and speed, so he had no time to dodge the bolt of fire from Miriel's palm. The damage was powerful, but he was still up and running.

"Sumia, charge at the knight, I'll handle this," I said.

"Sure thing,"

I grabbed my tome and formed the lightning ball with my palm. Miriel said that you had to compress the lightning; make the rest of the mass of energy spread into one single point by squeezing it. Just like squeezing a bug: it's juices spread out once a single point is compressed. If I managed to squeeze it at the right amount of might, then I could hold it like a normal dagger. Sumia dove in to the knight and I impaled it with the lightning dagger. I managed to weaken the attack as to sustain the knight rather than kill it.

Beyond the knight, I saw a mercenary, holding a normal sword, and another one far away. The leader of the guard has sturdier defense than the other knight, so normal swords and axes won't promise much damage. I've to get Vaike to pilfer the hammer from the fighter far west. I sent in Stahl to fight the first mercenary.

I'm putting all my hope into Stahl.

Stahl still fought with the same iron sword I gave him. He got one hit on the fighter on the sword fighter, but after a lengthy battle of exchanging sword swings, Stahl received more than he dealt.

"Your swings are too average, knight," the mercenary said, "That sword may be strong, but can you even swing accurately?"

Whenever I talked to Stahl, he usually told himself he's average or he'd talk about food.

I thought I saw Stahl wince from that comment. He had a forlorn look on his face.

Lissa attempted to heal her friend, but she was punched off of Stahl's horse by the fighter.

"You don't fight to survive, knight," his opponent said, "You fight for her? No wonder why you improve slowly."

She was about to get executed by the fighter. She screamed in fear and attempted to guard herself with her staff.

"In Regna Ferox, the strong survive! The weak are but liabilities."

I tried to intervene, but an unlikely person guarded Lissa. His armor managed to soften most of the blow, but the axe still managed to cut his shoulder. Stahl was the defender.

"Stahl?!" Lissa screamed.

"So what?"

Stahl may not be a perfect knight, he may be slow, he may be inaccurate sometimes, but his core strength comes from his humility and selflessness. He's much more determined to make someone much more happier than he is. He expects no reward, though if food is involved, maybe he will. He clenched his sword with his right and grabbed the handle with his left despite his injury.

"I don't care if I grow stronger or as strong as the others,"

"Huh?"

I smiled at his selflessness and nodded. Sumia wondered why I didn't order her to help. I know when people need help and when people don't.

"Co-Captain!" she said, "Why aren't you helping Stahl?"

I smiled as I crossed my arms.

"Stahl doesn't need help right now," I pointed to Lissa, "She's enough help to him."

"What are you talking about, Alec?"

The only thing Stahl needed was to improve himself not only through self training, but to discover something worth fighting for.

"My strength is not based on me alone, Feroxi," Stahl shouted, "I fight so tomorrow, my friends and I will be there and laugh. I fight so I can see Lissa smile at me again, even if I'm clumsy or in denial of my own talents."

"Absurd!"

"My friends are my strength, and I am theirs!"

He grabbed his sword and slashed the mercenary's sword arm, forcing the fighter to drop his sword and to his knees.

"Stahl..." I said as I walked to him.

"Alec? Why didn't you help me?" he said weakly.

"You didn't need it. You're right, fighting for others is better than fighting for yourself," I said, I turned to the rest of the enemies, "Rest, the friends you fight for will now fight for you."

"Thanks," Stahl said.

The fighter with the hammer charged at us. Chrom took the offensive and debilitated him. Vaike, following orders, subdued the axe man by whacking him with the flat part of his axe. Vaike grabbed the hammer and lifted it with ease despite its weight. The blunt part is good against knights. Chrom's rapier is also a strong anti-armor, utilizing its thin and sharp point to pierce through the heavy armor. Vaike is a better option.

"Alright Teach, that hammer is useful against knights," I said, "Use it on the leader."

"Good way of addressing the Vaike, Alec," he said as he charged to the knight.

More fighters came in from the east. Going through what Miriel taught me, I tried to arc the direction of my Thunder orbs. I formed a ball of electricity on my right palm and slapped the ball to make it spin toward the right. I summoned a myriad of magical circles and text around me as I propelled the ball into the air. I think I shot it to far, seeing it zoom through the clouds in a matter of seconds.

The female knight proved herself to be sturdy. She managed to hold against one hammer strike from Vaike, though it left her badly damaged. Vaike took a spear blow from the female knight, but he still endured while smiling cockily. Chrom, riding on Frederick's horse, charged into the fray. Chrom grabbed his rapier, held in another holster, and threw a powerful lunge at the knight. The knightess knelt on the floor, pulling out the rapier slowly. Chrom and the others were surprised from her durability. She gritted her teeth into a somewhat creepy smile.

"Don't think your weapons will be enough to down me," she said, "I am Raimi, the green shield of the Feroxi border. No hammer or rapier will end me quick."

She quickly grabbed her lance and swatted Chrom with the blunt end, knocking him back. Chrom was fazed for a bit, giving Raimi time to finish him. She ran toward him with the average speed of a running man (man she's strong) and when she got close, she spun her lance before lunging it into Chrom. Before the tip could sever the blue blood's clothing, a lightning ball from the sky crashed into the green knightess.

"So that's where my electric ball was?"

"And it appears that you've controlled the path by spinning it." Miriel noted.

"Thanks for teaching me, Miriel," I said.

"Your claims are true, Prince Chrom..." she said weakly.

* * *

**Feroxi Palace**

Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, and I went to the throne room to meet the Khan. To our surprise (mostly Chrom's), the Khan, Flavia, was not only a female, but one of the Khans. She isn't the ruling one at the moment, and she had to win a tournament held every year. Fortunately, the tournament is in a few days, and Flavia allowed the Shepherds to be her representatives, yet only six contestants are allowed on each team.

I had to choose wisely.

I can use Chrom and Frederick to team up with each other, making a sturdy and strong combination. I think Kellam and Stahl should work, fusing both physical defense and power. I guess I'll be put up with Sumia, using her agility and my magical range to clear out any knights or fighters quick.

As I wandered through the halls, I continued to ponder on a plan.

* * *

**Alec's Room**

I didn't read anything, even if a tactician would spend most of his time reading books based on strategy. I bought an empty book and decided to doodle a bit on it. I'm not the best artist, but I can still draw a decent humanoid shape. I decided to draw a deformed Lissa and Stahl, holding hands. I sighed with a smile, yet it shifted into a frown.

I feel so alone. Am I really desperate for love? Sumia has obvious feelings for Chrom, but I found myself intrigued by her. It felt wrong to take away Sumia from my friend. Sully may be hottie with a body, but I don't feel that way for her, and Kellam, who's alone and usually forgotten, needs a person to be by his side. I think that not all of my team in the future will be destined with someone. Miriel may have helped me, but I don't think our feelings would be mutual, and she would prioritize research over her spouse.

I really am. I am desperate for love.

I looked at my paper and saw that I've written down my thoughts unconsciously. I scratched the names out immediately to avoid any embarrassing moments.

*knock knock*

I nearly fell back, but I was glad I grabbed the edge of my desk in time.

"It's me, Sumia," the voice called.

"Come in."

Sumia wandered in, looking at my room. My room is a bit messy, but not enough to attract ants.

"Hey there," she said, "I just wanted to thank you for assisting me in battle."

Her eyes radiate with a dark brown, similar to her brownish hair. Dammit, she's not wearing her armor. Without armor, large amounts of her skin is shown.

"Your welcome, Fumbles," I chuckled from saying her nickname.

She puffed her cheek and stomped toward me.

"Why do you call me Fum-" she suddenly tripped on nothing, much to my horror.

"Dang, I think it should have been Tumbles," I said to myself.

I helped her up and she dusted off her dress.

"You know, Alec, I see that you're writing something," Sumia commented, looking at my book.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"What are you writing about?" she said with a glint of interest in her eyes.

"Well... uh," I looked away, scratched the back of my head, and mumbled a bit.

"Pardon?"

"I'm trying my hand in writing a romance?"

Sumia's face seemed to express jubilant interest. She walked to my desk and grabbed my paper. Immediately embarrassed, I snatched the paper from her hands.

"Alec, that was rude!" she said.

"It's my paper, I never said you could read it," I said, "At least ask."

"Fine. May I read it?"

"You may," I replied in a cooled tone.

She grabbed it and scanned through it.

"Whoa, this is actually pretty good," she said with a smile.

"Seriously?"

"Alec, I never knew you had some literary talent," she said.

She widened her eyes and turned away from me. She seemed to be in a contemplative pose. Seconds passed and she turned back to me.

"Do you want me to help you in finishing the story?" she asked, holding her hands together as if she's praying.

"Er..." This is kinda embarrassing, "Alright, fine."

"YES! We should start plotting tomorrow," she said with optimistic fire.

She walked out of my room and before closing the door, she looked out through the crack.

"Good night, Alec~," she closed the door.

I sighed, but I found myself smiling from Sumia's bubbly personality. The piece I wrote was accidentally written by me aimlessly writing my thoughts. I just wonder how this story will end.

**I have such a tendency to ship tease. Stahl and Lissa are pretty cute together, and it may end up with them together.**

**Will there be drama with love choices? I don't know.**

**If you see all of these teases, be aware that it won't end up in a harem.**

**On my first Hard Playthrough, I got hitched with Sumia because she's just adorable and her supports with MU are much more mutual than one-sided. ChromxSumia is cute, but their supports would've been written better. Too much of Sumia just giving pies out!**

**By this time, I got aware of the genetics technique with passing down certain skills to your children *cough* Galeforce. I married Olivia in my normal mode file and got her to become a Dark Flier to make Inigo and Morgan OP. I decided to go for Sumia because I've been putting her up with Chrom many times and I'm not too fond of Cordelia (Galeforce plus actual developing love). **

**Also, I find it stupid that Cordelia keeps her feelings for Chrom unrequited, and I really don't get why she would keep it unrequited. 3 (4 if you count F!MU) other ladies can be shipped with the prince for Pete's sake.**

**While I write, I always listen to music based on the mood of the current situation. I was really stressed the time I wrote Alec's dream of Stahl dying in the battle at the Northern road to Ferox, but I listened to the song "Happyville" to calm myself down. I nearly shed a tear as the song finished due to the nostalgia.**

**The memories of Stahl dying were based on the first times I attempted to finish the Shepherds Chapter.**

**Enough with the feels talk. I appreciate any legitimate (and rational) comments (No Spam!) and have a great day.**


	7. Are you a girl or a boy?

**Chapter 6**

Are you a girl or a boy?

****A/N: Note that sometimes I'll skip certain game chapters as to not make this a whole retelling of the story. Also, I don't own the game and it belongs to Intelligence Systems. If I did own it, I'd modify Chrom and Sumia's support dialogue *grumble*. PIES! GRAGH!****

**2nd Day until tournament day**

We spent the whole morning and early afternoon training rigorously. After scanning the opponents, my chosen people were Frederick, Chrom, Kellam, Stahl, Lissa, and myself.

Frederick provides both good mobility and power, fusing with Chrom's already potent sword power. Kellam and Stahl seem to have a potential bond, but also a strong synergy of durability and strength. Most of the opponents have axes and lances, so the first few opponents can be handled well by Stahl and Chrom. The armored knights are butter to me, as I can use magic and my mobility. Lissa will of course be our medic, as the fighters, though inaccurate, are still strong to heavily damage Chrom and Stahl.

My arms feel like complete butter. Frederick lives up to his knight code of diligence when he trained us for the upcoming battle. These training sessions could break a wyvern as noted by Lissa.

Frederick gave Chrom and I a lesson in swordplay. While I had the edge in analysing weak spots, Chrom's years of training equalled my accuracy. In the end, Chrom would win most of the spars. I also sparred with Stahl, which mostly ended with me the winner. Stahl has power and defence, making it up for a lack of speed. His strikes are strong, even catching me off balance when we clash blades, but I used my agility to overcome his strength.

Lissa had to go through athletic training to improve her reaction and recovery speed. She ran many laps around a building for her regimen.

In the end, we found deep bliss from resting in our beds at early nightfall. It took an hour to get my arms back in action. That meant I stared into the ceiling for literally an hour. As promised by Sumia, she came to visit me to help me with my story.

Today, I used some of my gold to buy a new set of "home clothes". I wore a black sleeveless shirt with slim pants. Though Sumia didn't train as hard, she still did to keep up her physique and she wore a purple short skirted dress with white stockings.

"So, wanna start working on that novel?" she said.

I smiled and grabbed her a seat beside the desk and pat it, showing that she's allowed to sit on it. She sat down beside me and both of us grabbed a quill resting on a bottle of ink.

"Let's brainstorm the plot, Alec," Sumia said, "That little piece you wrote is a good cornerstone to brainstorm a plot."

"Yeah, let's do it."

We took turns skimming the paper I wrote my thoughts into. Just looking at it gives me both the feeling of regret and embarrassment. I just can't believe that I actually wrote down my thoughts. After a few minutes, the klutzy pegasus knight spoke up.

"Well, I have characters planned out for the story. Though I have a proposal for the plot."

"I'm all ears," I replied.

"The main character is a leader of a little group of vigilantes and sell swords that fight for both money and to seek justice based on their leader's. The leader, though a brave and very cunning leader, finds himself indirectly pairing people up by assigning them to partners as part of his strategy to win. But once he starts to work together with his squad, he realizes that he has certain feelings for the girls in his troupe."

"Doesn't that kind of sound like our little struggle?" I replied with a raised brow.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a dense girl," she was on the verge of tears.

"I never said I didn't take your idea into consideration," I replied with a smile, "Besides, that idea is the closest thing we have from these notes."

"Really?"

"Don't beat yourself up too hard, Sumia," I said, "As a Shepherd, you can always come to me for help if that pleases you."

Sumia smiled softly and nodded.

"Awww, thanks."

"Now let's go to character names..."

"Wait, before we think up of them," Sumia said, "Are you by any chance a womanizer?"

Widened eyes and a twitching left eye was my response. Where did she think up of this?

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about," I said nervously.

"I heard from Lissa that you were checking out Sully when you first saw her," Sumia replied.

"Look, she has a body, but I'm in no way trying to court her, Tumbles," I said.

"Sorry about these questions, Alec, but I read some of the history books about the Jugdral history," Sumia said, "You have a liking to the color green, and you seem to like woman."

"I haven't got into that, but I have read the Elibe history," I replied, "I thought you would compare me more to the Green Lance, Sain."

"Well, you do use swords most of the time..." Sumia noted.

"Good point."

We then continued to ponder to the creation of characters. For some reason, I found this easy in my clouded memories, but right now, it was difficult. Sumia spoke up first again.

"Here, the main character should be smart, yet has an average build like you," she said.

"What will his name be?"

"I think it should be Mark."

"I like that name. For some reason, it feels so close to me," I commented, "It's like I had a friend named Mark in my shrouded past."

Sumia nodded with a smile. It was my turn to blurt out an idea.

"Hey, I have an idea for the 'heroine' of the story," I put out two fingers on each hand and curled them with each syllable said from 'heroine'.

"Really now? Let me hear it."

* * *

**Tournament Day**

We woke up early and did our usual training regimen, only slightly toned down as to not enter exhausted into battle. The battle started at noon, so we only had a few hours to train.

I took an earlier break than the others, as I had to think of my strategies. While most tacticians in Ylisse's history had large armies and usually had high death rates, I found myself preferring a small force, but not letting any of my single friends die. That dream of Stahl dying due to my incompetence is what drives me to make stronger and more cautious strategies. Even with this, I can forget even the smallest things sometimes, like how Chrom's Falchion is actually an eternal weapon meant to be wielded by those with Exalted blood. I had to be reminded twice about it.

If I forget my plan, I may as well improvise.

After reading a few books, I decided to look at my comrades-in-arms. Kellam, who has no weapon, is training his agility by having Frederick attempt to stab him with a training spear. He has to learn how to avoid magic bolts. Stahl too was training in agility training, but it's not for his evasiveness only, but his attack speed.

An hour of training past and it was time for the tournament. If I remember correctly, Flavia and the other Khan had to have their own host of champions from different areas. They can't fight themselves, nor anyone related to them, or it would lead to a blood feud. For a realm of fighters, they sure are sane. Much more sane than the King of Plegia.

I grabbed my trusty bronze sword and thunder tome and joined Chrom and the others into the stadium.

The room before the battlefield was dark, lit up by torches. Two muscly guards blocked the way to the door, signalling when it's time to come out. I turned to my fellow comrades and discussed the plan, with the help of a map I sketched.

"Okay, so Chrom and I will be at the front and four of you will be at the back..."I said, "I call this plan, Halftime.

"Halftime?" Stahl said.

"I'll show you why it's called Halftime..." I smiled with the confidence of a hawk diving into its prey, "in battle."

* * *

**Arena Ferox**

It's our time to shine. I grabbed my sword, put on my music mediums, and played one of the more energetic tones at a reasonable level. The crowd cheered as we entered, fighting against the other Khan's own champions. What I found really unfair was the fact that our opponent had more champions than us. We should have used the whole fighting Shepherd army for the Gods' sake, but rules are rules...

I looked at the end of the stadium and saw the man (or cross-dressing lady), Marth, leering at me behind that strange butterfly mask. I don't know why, but I just have an innate discomfort against him.

"You, Marth!" Chrom said.

"..." Silence.

"Where did you get that sword?" Chrom demanded.

"Why don't we let our blades talk?" Marth finally replied as he unsheathed his blade.

Chrom summoned his Falchion and entered his fighting stance. What I noticed was that Marth mirrored Chrom's fighting style.

"Marth, are you by any chance-"

He zoomed in toward Chrom, completely ignoring my question. Chrom managed to block his attack and counter with a swing of his own. The masked fighter managed to clash with the other Falchion, which lead him to attempt another swing. After a few exchanges of swings and parries, Chrom and Marth finally clashed their blades and tried hard to push each other away through their swords.

"Where did you learn how to fight like that?" Chrom said.

Marth managed to push away Chrom's sword and did a quick spin with an outward slash. The prince managed to duck from the strike, avoiding the counter attack completely. Marth then sprung high into the air and did the similar multi-front-flip jump slash that Chrom used. Chrom attempted to block, but I quickly sprung into action by guarding him with my sword. He was quite strong, causing me to slide back a bit. When he leapt off the ground, he attempted to attack me, but Chrom jumped in and clashed his Falchion with the other Falchion.

"My father!"

I took this opportunity to blast him with lightning, but the masked man did a back flip as soon as the projectile was a few millimeters close to her.

"I don't care if you're a man or a woman, 'Marth', you'll fall to the might of our bonds."

I think I saw her irk a bit, but my mind is focused on winning this battle. If we don't win, Ylisse is outnumbered by Plegia's high numbers.

"I'm a man."

Following my strategy, my team moved to the west part of the stadium. The fighter made a mistake for being positioned away from his other teammates. He found himself being ganked by the fused powers of Frederick, Chrom, Stahl, and Kellam. Frederick initiated with his bronze sword, with Stahl and Chrom delivering the finishing blow. The Feroxi was incapacitated, and so we moved on, but not without the eastern forces attempting to follow us.

The mage on the east approached us with his tome ready. Chrom, riding with Frederick, unsheathed his Falchion and swung as the Cold Lieutenant rushed past him. The mage was still alive albeit heavily injured, so Kellam had the chance to toss his javelin at the weakened mage.

"Fighter's coming close from the west," I called to Kellam.

"Gotcha," he responded with a smile from his blank face.

Stahl and Kellam took a few steps to the east and prepared defensive positions. The fighter took a huge leap and swung down on Stahl, finding him the less sturdier one. Stahl managed to hop back from the attack, but the fighter still wanted seconds. He charged a short distance toward Stahl, but he was blocked by the invisible wall known as Kellam.

"Back. Off." Kellam's voice is usually gentle, but Kellam sounds extremely stern when he defended Stahl.

The white and orange knight pummeled the axe man with his shield, giving time for Stahl to swing at him. The Viridian Knight charged in and threw a strong swing at his axe arm's shoulder, causing the fighter to immediately yield.

"Good job, partne-" Stahl's horse was suddenly stabbed by an iron lance. Despite this, the horse proved to be as sturdy as Stahl, managing to stand with rugged effort.

I grabbed my tome and sword and charged at the knight. Underneath the metal hood, I heard a cocky laugh, possibly from me using my bronze sword against his lance.

"You sure you want to face me?"

"Yes."

He walked slowly to me, attempting to lunge me with his lance. *cough* Phrasing.

"Taste my lance, scrawny!"

"Phrasing!"

He shot his lance to me, but I dodged it fluidly. The lance dodging training with Frederick paid off, especially when he used a real lance for it (I failed 10 times and counting and I can still feel some of the scars). I did a horizontal slash to his shield arm, but the sword bounced off as expected. I quickly grabbed my tome and dropped my sword. I clenched my fist as I felt magical power surge into it. I reeled in my arm and pointed my palm toward the armored man, shooting a ball of electricity at him. The man fritzed from the magical power of the spell, but still stood with rugged effort.

"It's time to use my Shooting Lance attack!" the knight shouted as he looked like he was about to tackle.

*ahem* "PHRASING!"

I was about to grab my tome and use it to fire a bolt of lightning at him before he charged, but he already came in like a bull. He was doing a flying headbutt that was horrifying yet somewhat comical. The weight of his armor and the speed of that headbutt agonized my whole body. By the time my body was on the ground, he was also laying on the ground and seemed to have a hard time getting up. I attempted to get up, but my whole skeletal system felt shattered. I can't stand up, and there isn't anyone nearby to help me but-

"Lissa?!"

I saw her standing in front of me, holding her staff in some sort of battle formation.

"This time, I'll protect you."

"Are you daft?" I shouted weakly, "You can barely even damage that knight. Just heal me now."

"No. It's time I returned the favor," she said with a stubborn tone.

I chuckled for a bit. I still have my tome in my left hand, so I decided to use whatever limited movement I had to use the tome.

"Hey, Liss, come here quick, I need to do something to your staff for a bit."

Thanks to some lessons with Miriel, I managed to learn how to enchant my weapons with lightning. If I used stronger tomes, than the electricity will most likely backfire on the wielder of the enchanted weapon. The thunder tome was perfect for enchanting. Lissa seems strong enough to handle a few volts of electricity.

"What is it?" she ducked down to my downed body.

"Your staff..." I grabbed it from her hands and put my tome on it.

A few bolts of electricity danced around her staff. If I succeeded, the full power of a thunder spell would be applied to the weapon.

"Go, before he gets up," I smiled weakly, "Swing it as hard as you can."

She looked at the electrified staff and nodded to me with a serious smile. The knight was struggling to get on his feet; enough time for Lissa to strike. She raised her staff above her head.

_Suddenly I saw an axe man slice the poor pigtail girl in half. Her guts spilled out like a water pipe, broken from a storm. I think my heart just stopped for 5 minutes. Please let this be a dream!_

"Lissa!" I shouted, but I think I heard another man shout the same thing I did.

Stahl's horse suddenly appeared, leaping above me. I looked at where he was jumping to and discovered he was about to strike the axe man pursuing Lissa. When he landed, Stahl rushed toward the ax man while doing a little twirl with his sword. When he got close, he pulled his arm close to his chest and finally swung it right when he hit him. The horse stood on its right legs, leaning toward the fighter.

With this, Lissa finished off the knight with her electrified staff. Shoot, I forgot to warn her about the frailty of-

*crack!*

The knight was knocked out, but at the cost of her staff. I think I heard her sniffle from the sight of her broken staff. She dropped her remnants to the ground and knelt to the ground. I feel so weak, I can't even move my whole body so I can come to her and comfort her. I heard another fighter charge in from the northwest. The vulnerable Lissa was approached by the green knight Stahl. On his left hand, another staff was there. The pigtailed girl grabbed it and hugged it like a teddy bear.

"Thanks Stahl," she said with a smile.

"Always here to help," he said with his usual smile.

"Stahl! Behind you!" I shouted.

The messy haired knight looked behind him, but the fighter was already high up into the air. Once he drops, he can't be stopped, unless-

"Surprise!"

A javelin from nowhere shot into the airborne fighter and pinned him down to the ground as soon as the arc ended. Kellam was the javelin thrower, and the would-be killer of Lissa and Stahl. That fighter won't be able to get up, as shown through those sword wounds.

"We'll never let them get you guys," Stahl said.

"Even though I'm always forgotten, I'll never forget about the importance of my friends," Kellam added as he bent down and gave me a hand.

With the strength of Kellam, I got up instantly, but still felt sore. I stumbled a bit, but Stahl caught my fall. With a giggle, Lissa shone her staff on me and restored the functionality of my bones and muscles. It felt so good to be healed back to full health. With these guys at my side, I think I may not be alone anymore.

"Alright! I can see victory in our grasp!"

With a flash of my sword, I pointed toward the girl, I mean man, on the edge of the stadium. Frederick and Chrom made good progress with the guards and is standing by for orders. Victory is close.

**Author's Note**

**My favorite lord will always be Hector. Lyn is second, because she's the first lord I played (+ I was always a sucker for flashy speedy slashes), but Hector IS the badass lord of FE7. Fuck starting with swords, Hector isn't one of your beltway pansy lords. He could rip Nergal in two with his bare hands, so don't fuck with this lord. As much as I like swords (a lot), I like lords that equip a different weapon from the start more. (Because of this dialogue, I can already imagine Validar showing his immunity to lethality with Dragonskin, son.)**

**After watching Kjelle do a bunch of Lunas and watching a bunch of Archer lately, I just found myself wanting to implement Alec's more silly attitude with the usage of the word "phrasing" .**

**I guess I may update once or twice a week depending on my progress with writing.**

**Any reviews are appreciated, and have a great day.**


	8. An Eye for Music

**Chapter 7**

Eye for music

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. Also Warning: Bad Pun incoming.**

With the bronze sword on my hand, and the thunder tome on my left, I'm ready to pretty much face anything in this stadium. A litter of incapacitated warriors lay on the tiles of the platform. Marth and a few of the other warriors were left, with all of us Shepherds standing firm.

I grabbed my touch tablet from my pocket and picked a fitting song for this.

"Sirius!"

I feel so fired up. The presence of my friends feels like a burning inferno that drives my blood to volcanic levels. This passion from this song ignites my soul and makes me invigorated and inspired.

"Alright, let's go, Sheps!"

Lissa followed me to help Chrom, while Kellam and Stahl took out the remaining soldiers approaching from the other side. Chrom and Frederick managed to weaken the knight and fighter ganking on them, but I intervened with a high leap (boosted by Stahl's horse). I shot a powerful ball of electricity at the knight, shooting me upward slightly. I did a front flip after launching myself with the electric ball and threw a strong downward slash to the axe fighter. I managed to slice his shield arm as I hypothesized. The damage was quite deep, but not enough to dismember it, causing the fighter to force himself to cover his wound. I then threw a thrusting stomp to his chest, dropping him to the ground.

"You sure know how to make an entrance, Alec," Chrom commented with a smile.

"Thanks, buddy," I said with a goofy grin.

Both the prince and I looked at the masked man, holding his sword with strong resolve. I leered at the man and grabbed my own bronze sword.

"Hey, Alec," the green haired man said beside me.

"Yeah, Stahl?"

"If you need a sword to fight him, you can borrow the sword you gave," he said as he handed me the iron sword.

"Thanks, Stahl," I said with a smile.

"You'll be fine, I know it."

Both of us approached the masked man and we both entered our battle stance.

"So, who is your father? How did you get that sword?" Chrom asked Marth.

"..."

"Marth, may I ask you something?" I said in a serious yet inquisitive voice.

"What?"

"Are you a girl?"

"...No."

I think I saw his neck turn a bit red from embarrassment. A girl or just someone who's androgynous?

With nary a word, Chrom initiated with his plunging aerial attack, which was guarded by Marth's Falchion, though he had to struggle a bit to push away the sword. Chrom threw a massive horizontal swing, countered by an upward slash with Marth's sword. Considering that they seem to share the same sword style, Marth may have the upper hand due to being much more agile than Chrom. I had to intervene.

I charged an electric spell with my Thunder tome, but realized that the book was overflowing with electricity. This power felt massive before, but it also felt like its last.

_For when something is about to crumble to pieces, it shall exude its last flash of great of power_

I remember that from my misty memories. I don't know where or when it came from in my memories. But I think this quote shows that this tome is about to crumble. The circles and otherworldly text surrounded me. The lightning ball I formed was now 3x larger, but I couldn't let its life be so short. I grabbed it in my left hand, dropping my tome onto the ground. I held it as if I held a dagger, and through Miriel's teachings, I formed a lightning lance that was 3x bigger than the one I used at the knight. I could use this as a secondary sword.

Chrom and Marth still locked themselves in clashes of steel, but Marth managed to exploit him and threw a powerful fist to his chest. He was about to execute Chrom in cold blood, but I dashed in and clashed blades with him.

"You!" she shouted, "How dare you misjudge my appearance with my sex!"

Though I'm not much of a sword fighter as Chrom is, I still used agility and improvisation to equal her speed and technique. Plus, I also had the help of my lightning sword, which added to much more swings than the two-handed Marth. Even with this, Marth's swifter and cleaner technique overcame my cautious and analyzing swings.

Right when he was about to do his downward diagonal slash to her right, I spun my iron sword on my right hand until it was dagger grip and swung to my right with both swords, parrying the strike and slashing Marth with my lightning blade, electrifying him. I swung to my left, this time holding my sword at normal grip, managing to get in two strikes, tearing some of his clothes and gouging out blood from the wounds. I was about to throw my finishing strike, but Marth threw a lunge at my left arm. My bicep cringed from the Falchion's tip slicing my arm. The lightning blade dissipated and the shock of my arm getting injured caused me to stumble back a bit. My sword fell out of my hand, leaving me weaponless. I don't know if I'm crazy or not, but I think that Marth's tip is much stronger than the edges.

"Ah crap."

"It's over!"

I then saw Marth reel in his blade and spun around once. He was about to swing at me with a powerful horizontal swing. Seeing through his swing path, I stomped my right hand into the ground, halting my stumble. I ducked and dashed forward to Marth. I heard him utter a "Huh?" as I threw an uppercut to his face. The mask still stayed on him, but I still saw some blood and spit launch out of Marth's mouth from my fist. The masked man fell on his back. He held on to his sword and pinned it to the ground. He slowly pulled himself up, but she was visited by my iron sword, a few centimeters by his mask. With grit teeth, he unearthed his sword and threw a powerful swing at me with his sword. Ah crap, I need to recover my stamina after that heated clash.

"GRAAAGH!"

My right eye suddenly saw a surge of red before sinking into a horrifying black. Is Marth really this brutal? I saw him reel his sword back into a stabbing formation, with his left hand out. While I was knocked back from that agonizing slash, I managed to plant my right foot on the arena floor and charge back. I quickly ducked down as I dashed through the lunging blade and threw a brutal body blow. This fazed the masked man heavily, causing him to fall to his knees, but momentarily stunned, only using the Falchion to keep him up.

I panted hard from that heated battle and put my right hand on my right eye to prevent the bleeding. Holy shit it hurts so much. I have to run away from Marth in case he can get up.

"You... dastard!" Marth shouted as he got to his feet, using the Falchion as a boost.

As he got back on his two feet, he launched forward as if he was an arrow being shot out of a bow. The ground that he rooted his feet on were slightly cracked from propelling himself to me. Marth is no ordinary swordsman or man at all.

"Huwooooargh!"

Chrom ran to Marth and threw a powerful left-handed clothesline at Marth, pushing him away me. The mask sure is sturdy. I was in no condition to fight at the moment, exhausted from Marth's continuous swings.

"Lissa!" I called for the cleric.

I watched as Marth recovered from that clothesline and grabbed his sword. The mask had a bit of a crack on it, but what I noticed was Marth's 'toned-down' stance.

Chrom seemed to have the upper hand now that Marth has been hit in the head multiple times, brutally. His swings were much more 'dull' and 'exhausted', giving Chrom the upper hand. He finally threw a powerful swing that spanned from his shoulder to his waist, revealing a nasty tear in his coat. Marth fell with a spin and ended with him lying down face down.

"I'm... impressed... Chrom," he weakly said.

Before I could see more further, the amount of blood that surged out of my eye caused me to pale significantly. Due to this, I passed out from large blood loss. Both eyes are absorbed in darkness, I fell into a deep dark trance. The last thing I could see legibly was the pigtails cleric's staff shining with green light.

"...-lec! Ale-!"

* * *

**A few minutes after the battle**

Well it all ended well: we won the tournament, we beat Marth, we didn't kill a single person, and also, we got the help of the Feroxi soldiers!

I woke up with my wounds healed by Lissa. Because of that attack on my eye, my right eye lost its ability to see, so I wore an eyepatch to cover it.

Flavia, the new ruling Khan, showed a much more girlier side from our victory.

"I'd gladly support Ylisse with Feroxi troops. I'm going to prepare our celebration~" she giggled, much to my amusement, as she left with a girly skip.

Chrom and I looked at each other. I had a more silly looking grin, while Chrom had a bit of a disturbed look.

"You know, Flavia is kind of cute," I commented with a smirk.

"But she's so... ugh," I think Chrom is mentioning her musculature, "Also, why are you wearing that eyepatch?"

We suddenly heard footsteps to our right. A large dark skinned man towered Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, and I. He has one eye and seems to wear Warrior garbs.

"That was a pretty nice match there, Chrom!" he said in a jolly voice as he patted his back, "We should bring royalty to our tournaments more!"

"Hey Crews, who are you?" Why did I call him Crews?

"Crews? I'm Basilio, the West Khan you rudely removed from power."

"You sound so mellow about it," I commented, "Did you want it back?"

He laughed gleefully as he put his arm around my shoulders and pat me on my left shoulder.

"That fight showed who deserved more power. I couldn't have been more proud being taken out of power from such strong fighters!"

"So, Basilio, how did you encounter Marth?" Chrom asked.

Basilio scratched his bald head and looked upward, thinking of how he met the man.

"I think he was a sellsword of some sorts," he said, "When he heard about you entering the tournament, he immediately challenged my current champ and replaced him."

"So, where is Marth?" I asked.

"Oh, he just left, and he told you that he'd cut you down the next time you call him a girl," he pointed to me.

"You seriously think he's a girl?" Lissa said, "How could you not know the tales of Hero-King Marth?"

"I tried reading Akaneian stories, but I found more interest in the Elibean histories."

"Alright, kid, enough with the history lesson," Basilio said, "For beatin' my team of warriors, I'd like to give you my previous champ."

The sound of footsteps were heard from the left. What approached us was a tall man with black spiky hair. He wears some form of Eastern-styled garb and carries a katana. The looks on his face expresses emptiness yet something terrible hidden.

"I'd like you to have Lon'qu join in your journeys," Basilio said with a smile.

"..."

"He's quite the strong and silent type," Lissa commented as she walked toward him.

Lon'qu eyed the lady and his eyes widened. He leered at her with a glare that could pierce even a wyvern's skin.

"Away woman!"

Surprised, Lissa took a step back from the sudden action.

"Lon'qu, are you by any fac-"

"Oh, Lon'qu just cringes at the sight of a woman," Basilio said with a hearty laugh.

I put a fist on my hip and raised a brow.

"So he's gay?"

"Alec!" Chrom shouted to me.

"Sorry..."

Lon'qu only shook his head in disappointment. Fear of women don't usually mean they're gay... right? For some reason, my foggy memory has scratched records of my society having openly homosexual romances. Not that I have anything against them. I just like girls more than guys, but I still can judge the attractiveness of a man.

"So, do you have no objections to your recruitment, Lon'qu?" Chrom asked the swordsman.

"You give the orders, and I stab your opponent. I think our roles are clear, Chrom."

With a smile, Chrom welcomed him to the Shepherds with open arms.

"Welcome to the Shepherds, Lon'qu."

* * *

**Feroxi Palace**

Everyone in the Shepherds were laughing, talking, and basically celebrating to their victory in a jolly manner. The only thing I could do right now was give a small smile, but the pain of my damaged eye was too great. The adults were mostly drinking ale, mainly Vaike who attempted to be the spotlight by chugging a whole cask. I didn't mind his little play of attention, only eating the deliciously fresh cooked meat and corn the party offered. Compared to almost all the people, I was lonely in the crowd, even as a highly praised tactician. I just put my headphones (A little memory jog recognized it as is) on and listened to relaxing music, away from the party.

"Missing you..." I uttered the music's title.

I really wanted to learn how to play that mysterious instrument with the slightly high pitched noise. From what I heard from the bards in Chrom's castle, it sounded like a stringed instrument. I want to learn that instrument some day. As the piece ended, I paused the song and saw Sumia standing in front of me, not wearing her armor.

"Sumia?"

"Oh, hi Alec, I was wondering where you were, so I looked for you," she said with a smile.

"Thanks for the concern, Sumia," I replied, "We definitely need a kind-hearted girl like you in our team."

Sumia giggled from my compliment, replying with: "Thank you~."

She stood beside me and gawked at my headphones.

"Alec, I've been wondering about that device that you bind on your head," she said.

I took off my headphones and presented it to her.

"These are headphones, a relic I think I got from my clouded past. Once they're connected to this mysterious device and I press a certain button on this magical pad or something."

"Mind if I try them on?" she asked.

"I don't mind,"

With my help, she put it on and it snugly fit her head.

"What's happening? Every sound around me is reduced," Sumia said.

"That's to increase your musical experience," I said as I pulled one headphone out of her ear.

I put it back on her and decided to play "Above the Treetops", one of my personal favorites. I saw Sumia perk up a smile from the soft stringed solo at the start. I've been playing this song in repeat for the longest time. I felt so familiar with it. She turned to me, the headphone-less guy and showed a face of concern.

"Alec, did you want to listen too?"

As much as I don't want to always assure people about my feelings by politely declining offers, I had to show more feelings to Sumia. She may have the unusual ability to trip over nothing, have low self-esteem, and a huge book nerd. Yet I just put it aside and want to see more of her gentle, loving, and caring personality. I... I... I want to get closer to her.

"Yeah," I said.

I grabbed the headphones and put the left headphone on my left ear and the other on her right. A flute noise started to play, the beat of the song was now heard, and a gentle instrument accompanied the flute.

"I really like the piano on this piece," Sumia commented.

"Which one is the piano?" I asked.

"The prominent instrument right now."

The piano solo was amazing and synchronized well with the flute. I don't know why, but internally, I'm crying from nostalgia. Where did I get such music from? Who made such beautiful music?

The song came to an end with a slow fade out. I recovered my headphones and put them back on my neck.

"Hey, Alec?" Sumia said.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind if I listen to your music sometime?"

I chuckled from her request and nodded earnestly.

"Yeah."

She giggled as she got up and helped me get up too. As she pulled me up, she accidentally pulled herself back too far, causing her to fall to her back, only for me to grab hold of her. When I did, I realized we were in some sort of romantic dancing position. Me grabbing her hand with mine while I leaned forward and held her arched back up. We looked at each other for a few seconds, but to me, it felt like time slowed down, making it feel like minutes passed. Sumia really is beautiful.

Not wanting to make this moment awkward, I helped her stand straight up. We both chuckled nervously from that little fiasco of hers.

"We should be heading back to the party," Sumia said as she walked back to the party.

"Yeah, we should."

"One more thing, Alec," Sumia added, turning to me.

"...?"

"Why do you wear that eyepatch?"

I raised my left eyebrow from her question. Didn't she see me getting mutilated by Marth? Heck, even Lissa tried to heal my eye, but I had to wear an eyepatch.

"Wait are you serious? Marth cut my eye with his sword,"

"That never happened."

Sumia then left me in the hallway, returning to the party. I thought about what she just said. Is she delusional?

I grabbed my eyepatch and took it off. I realized what she meant when I opened my eyes.

* * *

**A/N**

**Now it's official that Alec will be going for Sumia. The relationship between Chrom and Sumia just feels somewhat forced to me(though Olivia and Chrom seems forced too in a sense, but they still had two years to get to know each other)**

**Because of this, I shall shift it to Adventure/Romance with Alec and Sumia shipped. Don't worry about blue blood, he's bound to be with someone.**

**Also, Alec's headphones are the Sony X Headphones.**

**If I could calculate the level of relationship with Alec and Sumia, he'd be at the bridge between C-B level. Okay, he's at the B level, at the first few paths to the A rank.**

**Also, I may or may not work on a cover image. I'm pretty sure my Magi cover pic is swattin' off my readers. I want to just get an image of Sumia being cute, but I'm so tempted to make sprite art for Alec (though I just edit an Earthbound sprite...).**


	9. Red then Orange

**Chapter 8**

Red then Orange

**ForlornFreund labs**

**"So, Commissioner Alec, what do you have plans on for the next chapter?"**

**The man who said this was Phil, the Philosophical Head of the ForlornFreund labs; an institution focused on writing stories. They're currently working on a Fire Emblem fiction known as Temporal Curse.**

**"To make this story unique, we have to make the appearances of the characters varying so..."**

**"The Sheps are heading to the Far Fort, sir. Donnel will surely be the next one right?"**

**"Yes, but we've gotta have newcomer that comes earlier than Tinhead."**

**Suddenly, an alarm sounded, surprising both Phil and Alec. The room and the hall were dimly lit, and Alec swore that he saw someone running through the hallways quickly.**

**"Sir, one of the characters in the waiting chamber has escaped!" Ferus, the female chamber guard shouted.**

**"Ugh, first it was Vaike, now who is it this time?"**

**"It's... it's"**

**"I don't care! Reseal the waiting chamber and give me the name later. That person who escaped just gave me an idea."**

**"Shouldn't we apprehend him?"**

**"Don't worry, the Sanity Squadron will find him and we'll store him back into the Waiting Chamber," he then smiled evilly from a newfound idea, "When he's apprehended, we'll get our idea."**

**Meanwhile in the real world.**

**Alec stood in front of the laptop, contemplating on who to add to the Shepherds early.**

**"Let's see, Henry?"**

**He pondered as to why he chose to consider his most disliked character to have an early appearance. As if he was knocked from behind with a pole, his eyes widened from realization.**

**"I know who I should add early."**

**With that, he began slamming his fingers into the keyboard and poured productive energy that could have been used for homework, into his next piece. A grin crept up on his face. Throughout the night, some of his neighbors have talked among themselves of a deranged ghost that haunted Alec's bedroom. To Alec, it was Tuesday.**

* * *

"So Chrom, where're we headed to this time?"

We were on a boat, carrying us to a remote island east of Southtown. Chrom told me of bandit attacks occurring in the farming district. The pillaging is currently happening in a village near the Farfort, ruins of a great fort that was used during a war of yore.

"I see."

I've been noticing that my mastery of both tome and sword are mediocre compared to the rest of the Shepherds. It's because I usually try to use both at the same time, which could lead to complications. Also, I have a tendency to let my knuckles talk. When I grabbed a wooden sword and prepared to train on the dummies, Frederick the Wary was there, organizing the dummies into proper position. I've been hitting the dummies with my training sword for most of the day, so maybe I need to see a master for it.

"Hey, Frederick," I greeted the knight.

"Greetings, Alec," he said in a welcoming tone, "Have you come here to train?"

I nodded and looked at him with a confident smile.

"I need to hone my swordplay after that humiliating defeat from Marth,"

"Defeat? He nearly slashed off your eye if it weren't for Chrom coming in to save you," he said.

"...Right," I replied, "Can we spar, Frederick? I need to learn from a master before I can handle swordplay on my own."

"A master? While I'm proficient in lances, I have used swords in the past," his friendly smile shifted back to Frederick the Wary mode: a stern frown, "Be warned, I'll show no mercy."

"Never asked," I passed him a training sword and we both entered our stances.

While he held his sword with two hands, I held my sword with one hand.

"Go!"

Frederick charged in fast and already threw a quick downward slash on me. I managed to guard in time, putting my other hand on the "blade" of the sword. When he reeled his blade back, I attempted to lunge him, but his veteran reflexes managed to dodge that lunge by simply leaning away from the blade. Damn, I wasn't fast enough to dodge his-

"GRGGH!"

He already hit me on my left hip with a brutal swing. I put a knee on the ground and dug the tip of my training sword on the floor.

"You were already open once you attempted to stab me," he said, "What I've noticed is that you're stronger in swinging, so I managed to get you into an attempt to lunge at me with your sword as to punish you painfully."

"Damn..."

"I told you I wouldn't show mercy."

He took a few steps back and awaited me to stand up. When I did, I gripped my sword firmly again.

"Once again, never asked."

This time, I threw the first move. I threw a quick arc slash, which managed to scratch Frederick's sword with the tip. I saw him attempt to swing at me inwardly, but I managed to hop whilst spinning and attempted a swing at him, only for him to dodge by ducking. When I landed on the ground, he swung at my head, but I managed to guard it using my blade. Both wooden swords were clashed together, giving Frederick enough time to talk.

"Greater effort this time..."

Frederick then pulled back his sword and quickly threw a powerful thrust with his sword into my chest. I once again knelt down to the ground, holding myself up with my sword.

"You've still got a lot of training ahead of you, Alec. You always try to improvise, which is both a good and bad asset to combat."

"...?"

"While it gives a level of unpredictability, it's still improvised and can be quite tarnished."

That made sense... kinda. Instead of complaining, I just to keep on sparring him.

* * *

For the rest of the day, I've been beaten up by Frederick's swordplay. In the later matches, I managed to capture most of his techniques and find some counterattacks. Frederick proved to be a smart opponent, managing to find counters to my counters. Despite that, they were mostly blocks and not real counters.

My whole body was sore, so I went to sleep on my portable bed. There weren't enough rooms due to the boat not being the best, so everyone had to sleep on their futons in the main hall inside the ship. I didn't feel like listening to music, so I just decided to sink into sleep. It wasn't as difficult as it usually was in the past. I usually just stayed up for an hour, waiting for something that never came, yet not know exactly what. I just closed my eyes and blocked out all noise, focusing only on the darkness of sleep.

* * *

**Dreamland (This isn't Kirby!)**

I woke up in a black area. I was sitting down on something... fleshy. Something that's gigantic and fleshy. I looked at where I was sitting on.

"Gods, this is morbid..."

My eyes trembled from the morbid sight before me. Is this an giant umbilical cord?

I felt sick to my stomach from the sight of this giant tube. I stood up and followed where the end of this umbilical cord. Why was I following it? Something horrifying awaits, yet if I stand here, won't that horror already run to me? Wherever this cord will lead to, it will lead to answers. What is this umbilical cord? Am I in a womb?

**"You're the perfect sacrifice, my son."**

An disembodied voice spoke. It was different from the voice I heard before I came to Ylisse.

"Sacrifice? Butt out, evil voice. I hate cults that require human sacrifices."

**"What you hate is what you're born into, my son!"**

"This umbilical cord... this means..."

I heard baby crying and all of a sudden, I was in what looked like some sort of otherworldly hallway. Everything was surprisingly... plain, but there was rust and blood on the walls. Several rooms were introduced and each one I came past had a baby. Some were skinned, mutilated, or otherwise disemboweled. The sight of developing organs spewing out from their chests made me sick. Their eyes were hollow, but only an eerie small red light took the job of the irises. Some of them cried blood. Even with their mutilated state, they still cried and cried. Their umbilical cords were used as nooses, hanging the babies brutally.

Then I saw a man at the end of the hallway. A man in a purple robe with hood up.

**"Be grateful for yourself, my son." **he said, attempting to comfort me eerily.

**"You're born worthy unlike these children."**

"They still have lives too! You can't just throw away everyone's chance at life like they're trash!"

**"You're right, that's why I gave you a chance."**

"Why?! Get me out of this place!"

**"If you do, then you have the honors to a room I prepared for you..."**

I realized that I too have an umbilical cord stuck on me. That cord I sat on was mine?!

**"Accept your fate, Son of the Ender!"**

* * *

**Reality**

I woke up with a scream and widened eyes. I was breathing hard and sweating greatly. I realized that during my little nightmare, I unconsciously took of my shirt and blanket to keep myself cool. It was still slightly dark; I think the sun is rising. Everyone was awake with bags on their eyes. I saw Frederick about to punch me and Chrom and the others holding pails of water.

"Alec, thank goodness you're okay," Chrom said with a relieved voice.

"Okay? Well right now, I am, but that dream wasn't okay."

The Shepherds, though tired, lent their ears to my story. To believe that I would have such a sanguine-strong dream. Some talked among themselves about my dream. The closest person to talk to right now was Chrom.

"Don't believe what that dream tells you, Alec," Chrom said with a fair smile, "Our bonds will overcome this fate."

"Friends..." I muttered silently.

"Yes, I'm your friend, Alec," Chrom said, "So is Sumia, Sully, Frederick, Lissa, and the other Shepherds."

"Thanks."

I got up and went to the lone bathroom in the ship. I knocked first, learning from my mistake from last time.

"Occupied, chump," Sully said.

"How long should I wait?"

"A few seconds."

I looked at both hands and started to count the seconds. I put up a finger every second past.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10?

She already got out in a sleeveless black tank top that accentuated her toned yet slim physique. She also wore tight black shorts with red knee-length boots. I can't help but be flustered from her body. I immediately looked away from her, hoping she won't hit me for perversion... again. I thought I would hear my bones break, but then I heard a chuckle.

"Relax, chump, I'm in no mood to hit pervs," she smiled at me with confidence, "I don't want to be late for training. See ya."

With my bones (and groin) spared, I continued into the washroom and locked the door. I took off all my clothing, refilled the tub with fresh hot water, and finally dipped my body into the hot water. I decided to scan my physique.

It had been at least a few months ever since I joined the Shepherds. Frederick always made me do daily exercises if we weren't in battle, and boy did it pay off. I remembered having a bit of a gut, but through constant sit-ups and fitness training, I have managed to gain a lean belly, slightly hardened. My pectorals were sturdy, yet not overly prominent like the Vaike's.

Though most people find him unbearable to deal with, I think he's a pretty fun guy to hang out with, especially when I screwed him over on his stalking trip on Sully. He got his vengeance by pushing me into the lady's bathing tent, where I got beaten up by the fused power of Sully, Lissa, and Sumia. Though I was really pissed off at him, in hindsight, it was fun. We didn't really do it for mutual hatred, but just for mischief. I can tell by Vaike's smile that time he just wanted to screw around with me.

My arms have slightly bulked, showing more muscle than my skinny arms from the start. Overall, I just look like a more fitter me.

I sighed and contemplated on that nightmare last night. Those fetuses must have some sort of symbolism. I looked at the back of my right hand. Does this mark have something to do with those nightmares?

The warm water, the silence, the cleansing soap. This is all perfect for getting me to relax and get clean. Good thing the door is locked. Only someone with a door key or a thief can enter here.

*click click*

"Who's there?"

The door suddenly opened, revealing an orange haired man in a brown cloak, scanning the area. My eye twitched and I immediately covered my pecs. Why do I do this? I'm not a girl.

"Who in Naga's name are you?!" I exclaimed to the orange haired man.

"Mother of Gods!" the thief shouted as he shielded his eyes, "I thought this was the gold storage!"

"Get out!"

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Now that I'm clothed, clean, and armed, Chrom, Frederick, and I cornered the thief to the wall, expecting answers from him. Surprisingly, he silently complied with our interrogation.

"So, who are you, and what's your business here?" Chrom pointed his Falchion to the thief's neck as he was sticking to the wall.

"Oh, I'm Gaius. I was once part of Plegia's thieves, but when I killed the leader of a bandit group, I ran away from town to find some other way of getting money."

"Did you kill the bandits because you wanted their money?" I added.

"No, Bedhead, they wanted me to kill a few people with them, so I just had to get rid of 'em before anyone innocent could get hurt."

I contemplated for a bit. This guy seems like a honorable thief. I think he can join us... only at the right price.

"So, how much will it be for you to join us?" I asked.

"Alec! Why are you allowing a thief to join us?" Frederick questioned.

"This guy seems to have good intentions, plus, thieves are good for gathering treasure in the battlefield and..."

I looked at his sword, which was sheathed beneath his cloak.

"He seems to be a strong fighter with that sword too," I said.

"He has a point, Frederick," Chrom agreed.

"For payment, it's going to be 10,000 gold."

"10,000!?" Chrom and I cringed from the amount of gold needed for his services.

"So much for good intentions," Frederick calmly said as he rolled his eyes.

We don't even have that much. What is he, a cheap magic mercenary? Next thing you know, he purposely makes himself weak as he reduces the price. Well, judging by the three lollipops on his chest, I guess he has a sweet tooth? If there is someone with candy, I hope they are willing to offer it.

I saw Lissa walking down innocently, holding a small bag. The noise was distracting me.

"Hey Liss, what's in that bag?" I asked.

"Oh, this? It's my candy bag."

I snatched it from her and put it on my other hand. Lissa tried to reach for it, but I put one hand on her head to bar her reach.

"How about some of this candy, Gai-"

"Deal," he said with a cocky smile, "But you can also add that 10,000 gol-"

Chrom pointed to the open window as he inched his Falchion closer to his neck.

"Alright, fine! No hiring fee! The candy is enough," Gaius immediately shouted, "But, I still have normal payment..."

"Alright, fine, but don't expect Ylisstol's treasury as your salary."

"I can take a decent fee," the thief said with a casual grin.

With that, he shook the prince's hand. From this day, Gaius is now an official Shepherd.

* * *

**Author's Notes.**

**Alec is sinking into some deep madness.**

**I gotta admit, to write his nightmares, I had to get myself listening to creepy things and torture myself with scary things to make the 1st person experience disturbing for me. So that meant I had to re-explore my Silent Hill 4: The Room memories.**

**I'm a man who loves symbolism and tries to implement it into almost anything. That dream has a bunch. Do you think you know what it is?**

**Gaius is probably one of my favorites. Personality-wise, I don't know, but I find his pairing with Maribelle to be the most fitting. Sure Ricken is the one that saved her, but Gaius was more involved in Maribelle's past. Gaius, though an actual thieving thief in the past, actually did it to protect her (I can't really sum it all up, but just read the support between them).**

**As for my dislike of Henry, let's wait till he actually appears, okay? Hope I didn't cause Henry fans to get butthurt.**

**Maybe I should make Alec's bath scenes normal instead of having bathroom break-ins. Gods, Alec maybe a pervert, but he's still unlucky.**


	10. Farms to Arms

**Chapter 9**

Farms to Arms

"Oh crap, Ylissean soldiers are here!" a bandit shouted, "Get to the Farfort!"

After killing a few bandits in the local farm village, the Chrom and I lead a charge to the Farfort to rid of these dastards and free these villagers from fear of pillaging. I'm even more surprised they are taking tactical measures. Nonetheless, we took offensive measures and trailed the bandits.

It was nightfall by the time we got there, but there was also a newcomer to our team. A purple-haired boy wearing a pot on his head and villager attire. He wielded a spear that was made of a stick and a used spearhead. For some reason, I had a dream before we went into the ship about forging a bronze lance for future purposes. I heard this from a female in a purple cloak, similar to that creep who haunted me in the ship. I held it, just in case Sumia's lance broke. Being forged to the zenith of its might, it had the power that equals a normal iron lance.

"Hey, dem bandits were pillagin' in mah town," the boy exclaimed, "Lemme join ya in yer fight."

"Stand back, we can't let villagers be involved with the Shepherd's work," Chrom said.

"But I've gotta avenge mah pa, yer princeliness!" he said with a stern glare.

"Give your anger to us, we'll take care of them," Chrom reminded the villager.

I looked at him and analyzed his build. He's weak, but he has powerful potential.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked him.

"The name's Donnie, but you can call me Donnel, though Donnel is mah real name," he said.

I looked at the bronze lance I was about to give to Sumia, and handed it to him.

"Ditch that lance and wield this one," I said, handing him the forged bronze lance.

"Does this mean Ah can fight wit' ya?"

"Yeah, but you're going to have to listen to me, got it?" I said as if I was a big brother.

"Who're you to tell me what to do?" he raised his brow in a rebellious manner.

"He's our tactician, Donnel. An astounding one if I can add," Chrom said.

With a nod, he adjusted his hat's position and grabbed my lance. I hitched on Sumia's pegasus and commanded her to fly up a bit to scan the area.

Many broken walls were spread around. There's mostly archers and axe wielders. There are a few thieves, so I guess swords are the best bet. Also, there are two treasure chests beneath high walls. There's no roof, but it's too high to climb, though there's a door guarding it. Donnel is going to have a hard time fighting the bandits around him, and what's worse, he can easily be killed by the bandits.

Okay, so this time, we're gonna use a force of 8.

"Frederick, Kellam, Lissa, Chrom, Sumia Stahl, Gaius, and I are in the field."

Chrom nodded to my team.

"Whatever formation you have, I believe in your tactics."

I armed myself with an iron sword I bought that was on sale, and an Elthunder tome that was also on sale. I put on my headphones and hitched on Sumia's pegasus.

"Alright, Kellam, defend Donnel, and Donnel, lead the way with Kellam on your tail."

"Roger."

The oft forgotten knight stayed by Donnel's side, shield and lance held strong.

"Frederick, let Chrom on your horse," I commanded.

"Yes."

The Lieutenant picked up Chrom and put him on his horse

"Gaius, stay close to Frederick and Chrom; take the finishing blow if the latter doesn't finish them."

"Sure thing, Bedhead."

"Stahl, keep Lissa behind you."

"You can count on me."

I then shone my sword in the moonlight and pointed to the three ruffians to the north.

"Alright, let's go!"

* * *

**A good slaughter later.**

The Shepherds managed to mow through the forces quick. The barbarians

Donnel impaled a weakened bandit with his forged lance and pulled it out victoriously. We managed to mow through the bandits without too much effort. Gaius, though a thief, proved to be much stronger and have as much agility. At least my swordplay is growing strong; gaining some help from Sumia made the fights easier. For some reason, it's as if fighting together not only brings us closer, but strengthens us.

"Ah'm startin' to grow more powerful from fightin' these bandits, though I do still need help with mah wounds."

Lissa, with her ever-ready smile on her face, used her staff to heal Donnie's axe wounds. With a smile, the farm boy gripped his forged lance and charged forward.

Chrom, with Frederick's help, shows that his attacks are much more damaging. Me being with Sumia makes me much more peppy and fast. Kellam being with Donnel gives the farm boy some needed attack power and some defense.

If this is the case, then maybe...

"Aaaah!" Donnel screamed as an arrow hit his chest.

"Donnie!" Lissa shouted as she ran to the farm boy.

I saw a bandit about to come between her and Donnel. Holding my tome in my left, and my sword on my right, I hopped off of Sumia's pegasus and threw a strong downward slash, complete with a skinny bolt of lightning dropping into my sword and electrifying it.

"Heaven's Luna!"

The bandit was both sliced and zapped by the fusion of lightning and iron. Though he was at his peak health and condition, the fusion of lightning and iron already obliterated him. I raised my sword and put it on my shoulder. Urgh, hot. It was heated by the electricity, so maybe I shouldn't act all stylish yet.

"That was amazing!" Donnel commented, his eyes gleaming with awe.

"Donnel, I can see your potential, but your magic growth won't be as strong..."

"Ah guess... but I'm still gonna grow stronger, magic or not!" Donnel said with a fist on his chest.

I chuckled at his resolve and pointed to the remaining bandits. I dug the tip of my blade into the dirt and stared at Donnel with a strong willed smile.

"Come with me, we'll fight them together."

I looked up into the sky and saw Sumia. I signaled her to keep watch of us and provide support. She agreed and flew close to Donnel and I, lance ready. For the first bandit, I clashed blades with him. The might of his axe was stronger than mine, so instead of grinding our blades, I decided to use agility to overcome his brawn. I hopped back and prepared to charged forward. I was about to take one step forward, but a certain redhead did a front flip over me and threw a slash with the tip of his iron sword. The barbarian's muscles proved to withstand its might and he attempted to counter Gaius with an axe swing. He immediately did a back flip and landed on his hand before hopping backward.

"Forget about me, Bedhead?" Gaius said with a bit of a muffle, chewing on a lollipop.

"Did you get the treasure?" I asked.

He pointed to a bag behind that he left behind him.

"What did you get?"

"A Killer Lance and a Rescue staff..."

We really need to get some gold from the treasures. We need some gold fast. I can give Sumia that Killer Lance, and the Rescue staff for Lissa.

Sumia shot her lance to the barbarian's bicep. While it impaled through, the barbarian was close, so he threw his axe to the klutzy Sumia. Luckily for her, Donnel was already on the enemy's right side as he threw a powerful lunge at his chest, immediately halting his swing. The barbarian threw a back hand with his right hand at Donnel, knocking away the villager. He threw a headbutt to Sumia, knocking her away from the pegasus. With pure animal savagery, he pulled out the lance impaled on his bicep while gritting his monstrous teeth. Gaius charged forward and stabbed the barbarian's wound. Despite the added pain, the barbarian still punched the thief in the face, then threw him away without too much effort.

"Gaius!"

He managed to get up fine, but the damage he sustained from the archers and thieves were quite dire. I signaled him to retreat to Lissa, to which he responded with a two-fingered salute and point. He grabbed the bag and used all his remaining strength to run away.

The brigand dropped his axe and mounted on Sumia's downed body.

"Mmmm, you're quite the specimen," his voice had a sultry tone. That's it!

He pinned her arms and used his legs to pin hers. He was about to molest her! I stood over him and stabbed his head, exiting out of his mouth. I hope I didn't scare her too much. I pulled out the blade and kicked off the barbarian's corpse. I can't believe I just stood there while he was walking over to her. I grabbed Sumia's hand and helped her up. Chrom caught up with us and turned to me.

"What now, Alec?" he said, holding his sword in ready position.

"Okay, you and I will face the leader, but Frederick will initiate."

"Good plan. Let's go!"

Frederick charged forward with his silver lance and threw a powerful stab at the barbarian. The leader was much stronger and sturdier than the normal axe wielders, being able to withstand the power of Frederick's lance. He swung at Frederick, but he used his shield to block it. It dented slightly, but he still suffered minor damage. He nodded to the prince and exited the scene, leaving a much more vulnerable leader.

Chrom pushed the ground beneath him with his feet as he rocketed to the bandit and threw a strong slash. The bandit leader was pushed back slightly from the damage, but still stood strong. I jumped over Chrom and swung at the bandit, but he managed to block it with his axe. I landed on the ground and threw a horizontal swing, but he also clashed my blade.

Up. Up. Down. Down. Left. Right. Left . Right. For a bandit, he was quite seasoned in skill. Some of my attacks managed to hit, yet his vitality was high, shrugging off most of my sword blows. Even with this, he's still getting damaged. I threw a downward swing to his open head as he reeled his axe outward. Then, he did a clever trick. He used the lower curved end of his axe to hook my sword and disarm me by swinging downward. With no weapon left, an evil and confident grin crept up on his face. I remembered my tome that was hanging on my left thigh. I held it on my left hand and opened it, reading the text. When he was about to throw a leaping strike with his steel axe, I managed to dodge it with a slide back. With the text read, the series of circles and text surrounded me. I charged forward and used my right hand to throw a downward hook to his head. When my fist contacted with his head, a lightning bolt struck the bandit down, frying him horribly. I took a few steps back as I panted from that battle. I turned to Sumia, who was hovering behind me on her pegasus.

"Sumia, throw your lance at the dead corpse."

"Alec, watch out!" She said, pointing her lance to me. Dammit Sumia, throw your lance!

I looked behind me and saw him about to attack me with his axe. He was in the air and was about to do a horizontal swing with that axe.

"Face me!" Chrom threw a powerful overhead slash that tossed away the bandit as he finished his swing arc. The bandit got up shortly, but the damage sustained from his wounds would soon conquer him with one powerful strike.

"Now's mah time!"

Donnel twirled his lance around as he moved his arm to the preparatory stance of a lunge. He threw a powerful charge at the weakened bandit, killing the leader and ensuring the freedom of the villagers.

With that done, I lay down on the floor and looked up into the night sky. I'm tired. I should really train my swordplay more, but I find myself having a stronger edge in magic. But, I have a weird innate hatred of indirect combat, mostly using the magic in conjunction with sword strikes and punches. Chrom barred my view with his smiling face as he chuckled lightly.

"You don't want a cold, do ya?"

"If only Lis-"

"Hey there~" she hopped out of nowhere and completed the re-enactment of my awakening. A light laughter was my response to this.

Chrom presented his hand and I grabbed it as he raised me up. We were both looking at each other, eye to eye, and comfortable face distance.

"Let's get going."

* * *

As we were marching back to the village and to the harbor, the villager boy joined up with us.

"Hey there, aren't ya forgetin' 'bout me?" Donnel said as he panted after that pursuit.

"Sorry about that, Donnie, we forgot," Chrom said politely.

"There ya are, son!" a female voice said.

The voice came from a middle-aged lady, wearing the same villager attire as Donnel.

"Ma!?" Donnel exclaimed.

"Ma?"

"Donnie, thank the Gods yer safe!" she said as she hugged her son. When she let go, she glared at her as if she was lecturing him.

"Don't ya dare fight against those bandits," she also looked at us, mainly Chrom, "Also, why didn't you kneel to yer Highness?"

"P-please, there's no need at the mo-" Chrom said.

"I want ya to kneel to the prince! Show some manners, boy!" the woman interrupted.

Out of somewhat comical fear, Donnel, the farm hero, was forced to kneel to the prince by his mother's rage. I don't know why, but I'm so glad I don't have a forceful mother. Donnel stood up after a few seconds.

"Now let's get ya home, sweetheart," she said as she grabbed her son's hand.

"Ah'm not goin' home Ma," he said sternly, "Ah'm joinin' the Shepherds."

Her mother was taken aback from his rebuttal. She glared at her son again, believing that his words were merely derogatory.

"Donnie, yer'e a villager like us, we're weak and it's the army's job to protect us."

"Ma, not only do Ah want to protect this village, but I want to protect all of Ylisse. Fighting with the Shepherds made me realize that Ah belong with them not only as a soldier, but as a friend."

"Donnie?!" her mother said in surprise.

Kellam joined with Donnel and smiled at Donnel's mother, ensuring his friendship would keep him safe.

"I trust Donnel, miss, and I will be his companion," Kellam said with a bold tone.

Chrom stepped in and clenched his fist and pumped it.

"Donnel shows potential to be a powerful fighter in our battles, miss. He lead the charge, while we cleaned up the leftover bandits. Let him go. For one day, your son will grow up and eventually face the world."

I smiled from the determination of both Chrom and Kellam, good friends of mine. Donnie's mother showed a face of surprise, but she stood firm and smiled warmly. She patted the tin helmet of Donnel and looked at him gently.

"They're right, son, you're grown up, and maybe Ah should let you go."

She looked at me with a strong yet gentle smile.

"Yer the tactician, right?" she asked me.

"Yes, miss, I promise that Donnel will survive," I said proudly, "Why do you think I handle tactics without any of my friends dying?"

"Ah know, and Ah believe that Donnie is in good hands," she went to me and put something on my hand. A red raindrop?

"This is a rare stone that mah husband kept. He said whoever crushes this will gain strength. Even if he coulda used it, he died before he can use it."

"I'm sorry we couldn't save him," I was saddened to hear the death of her husband.

"But Ah think he knew that Donnie would soon leave us, and when he did, he needed this to help mah little boy grow strong."

"Thank you, miss," I said with a smile.

With that, Donnel has become a Shepherd. We gave him time to pack up a tent and a few belongings before heading out in two days. Another ship doesn't come in two days, so we had to stay somewhere. Fortunately, the local villagers offered us a stay on their houses as repayment for saving the village. Chrom assigned two people on each house. He trusted that most of the people are controlled enough to not give in to their primal desire for... you-know-what. Though he put up some girls with boys, he put me up with-

"Alec, have you seen the posters I put up by the beds of the other Shepherds? I drew milord's body myself, you know."

Frederick.

Outside of duty, Frederick goes on an on about doing duties and the joy of hardship. What's worse is that he's showing me his own rendition of morale-raising propaganda.

The dreaded Naked Chrom.

His Falchion is held in front of his nether regions, while he holds a scale with his other hand. A fan of blue and yellow beams of light shone from behind him. And the worst part: the words etched "Chrom wants you" on top of him. It's like Frederick is advertising Chrom selling his body.

Oh Sumia, why do you have to be assigned to Donnel?

Wait, what?

I widened my eyes from this though. What am I thinking? Why am I so concerned for her? It's not like I don't want to. This could just be what friends do.

"Yeah, but I don't really think it would raise my morale to see my friend wearing absolutely nothing," I replied.

_More like raise mortification (mostly on Chrom)_

"But it's to show-"

"I don't care, and I'm sorry for interrupting," I replied abruptly.

With a bit of hesitation, Mr Wary Man regained his composure and nodded.

"My apologies, Alec," he said politely.

"Nothing too serious, Freddy," I replied with a calm smile, "We should go to sleep, we need to get to the ship first thing in the morning."

He silently nodded and we both hid ourselves from each other, changing into our clothing. I came out with pajamas, while Frederick wore only his smallclothes. I ignored his physique, only focusing on the day ahead of me. I just hope those nightmares don't haunt me again. Maybe I shouldn't dwell more in nightmares and more into my friends. With the thought of Chrom, Lissa, Stahl, Kellam, and the others, I finally closed my eyes with a smile.

* * *

**And so, Donnel is part of the Sheps.**

**He always has been my MVP, always doing those exaggerated back flips on enemies with 10x more level than him. I'm not so sure who to put him up with now. He's a powerful dude, but his skill pool is much more limited than the others (Unless you bless him with DLC skills(Freaking eShop game cards are damn expensive)).**

**So, considering the huge fight scene skip, I'm trying to keep a bit of a variety here. Whenever Alec and Chrom are both leading the Sheps into battle, I don't always want to show a lot of fight scenes. For paralogues, I may have to skip the ones that are quite lengthy and require simple tactics to do. For most of the main chapters, I'll go full power on writing the fight scenes.**

**Some paralogues and chapters will be skipped (*Ahem* Suicidal Villagers).**


	11. Love, OCs, and other Delusions

**Chapter 10**

Love, OCs, and other Delusions

**Author's Notes**

**This chapter is the 2nd 'breather' (1st being Red then Orange). When Alec and Shepherds are not suffering from nightmares and battles, the Shepherds are in their tents or tent groups and talking among one another. "Breathers" are to show the growing friendships between Alec and the Shepherds.**

"Aww, I lost," I frowned as Virion put me in another checkmate.

"That bait you did with your knight was deceptive."

With a proud chuckle and smile, Virion tousled his hair stylishly. I think I might reconsider my friendship with Frenchy.

"I must admit that I'm superior to you in this game of wits, Alec," Virion said proudly.

"Yeah, maybe with your victory over me, maybe you should be the tactician, Virion," I said with a sarcastic tone.

He chuckled to himself again, but instead of sounding arrogant, it sounded more... friendly.

"With the tactics I used, my head would be on a pike sooner than you'd make the first move," Virion said. He pointed to my pieces and his.

"Look at the remaining people you have, and look at mine."

"You have lesser pieces, but you positioned your pieces to lock my Lord into place."

With a smile, the blue haired Frenchy nodded.

"Yes, that's why I can't handle tactics, my friend," he said with a smile.

I thought he would say Mon Ami or something like that. Guess Rosanne just has accents? I don't even know if there's multiple languages in Ylisse.

"The Shepherds need you."

I was taken aback from what he said. During a time where I talked to other Shepherds about Virion, they usually depicted him as a sleaze and a buffoon, possibly due to his accent. I confess that I find his accent annoying, but I don't let it prejudge his words... well sometimes.

"You loathe the sacrifice of a single man, making sure everyone can come back home safe."

He did a formal bow while sitting. I guess Virion is not so bad after all. We should fight together sometime, like that time we saved those villagers from bandits, lead by a berserker with an eerie fascination with his brother. I'm so glad Virion and I lunged our blades into him before he could touch the village.

"Virion, I have zero regrets of being your friend," I said with a grateful smile, "Sure, people will talk bad about your sleaziness and accent, but you're an honorable person as well as a gentleman at heart."

"Yes, yes, I know," he said, standing proudly.

I sighed and playfully bonked his head, causing him to cringe in pain.

"What was that for, Alec?" he shouted.

I smiled and tapped my head with a finger.

"As much as you're a gentleman, you're still quite arrogant sometimes," I said, "Have a little more humility, and maybe girls will fall for you."

With that, we shook hands on a game well played and we both parted ways. I've gotta say that Virion is a good man at heart, but misunderstood in the flesh.

I've been noticing a bit of connection with Gaius and Lissa. Should I keep them fighting together? I noticed that with Lissa continuing to heal wounds, her innate magical power grows stronger. I deem Gaius a paper tiger: A strong force, lightweight, and agile, but if one powerful or sluggish hit were to hit him, he'd be damaged horribly.

I have a lot of free time on my hands. Chrom, though happy about Ferox agreeing to assist Ylisse, still hasn't got word of any heavy Plegian activity. I wonder why? Ever since that time Ricken saved Maribelle from her kidnapping , everything was alright for now.

Until news of further battles was heard, I surrendered to my tent and pulled out my story from my satchel.

Sumia and I made good progress, and we're currently on the part where Mark goes over his breakup with Shiina, the young troubadour. My plan right now is to get Mark to put his sword wielding cavalier friend, Tony with Shiina. But, then during a battle near Kurama, located in the island of Neehon (It just came from my head), Mark begins to talk to Artemia, the swift, yet clumsy myrmidon. She's gonna be the main love interest.

Speaking of Sumia, she gave me a novel called Infernal Edge. This story starts out with a girl from the plains who meets with a tactician. Though it started out with her as a central character, two lords took a more central role after the time skip. But in the end, the tactician disappeared. His best friend, the woman from the plains, married to another plainsman. But even with the tactician having unrequited love, he said goodbye to her with a smile. While the world was at peace for a moment, the tactician soon met an oracle and prophesied a war for his tactical prowess. Hearing that, the tactician disappeared, and his name was never head of again.

"Hey Alec~" Sumia chimed as she entered, "Am I interrupting you?"

I turned to Sumia, wearing her usual armor-less clothing. I think I saw her tossing away a flower as she entered.

"No, not at all," I said, "I've got an idea for Mark's main love interest."

Her eyes flourished with astonishment as she optimistically clenched her fists.

"Oooh, this will be interesting!"

She crouched down beside me and we both discussed what we're going to write. Throughout most of the afternoon, we spent it writing our story. After a finishing sentence, Sumia got up and pointed at me with two fingers.

"I am Estella Hausenfurher, Lady of the Pink Flames!" she put up a cute yet battle-hungry smile, "I dispense justice on those of dark nature with grace and beauty!"

"Sumia?" Is she RPing? "Are you role playing?"

"Who is this Sumia you speak of, Verdant Nocturne?!"

Oh shoot, did she find my notes of my dream self?

During the time after we saved Donnel's village, I was scribbling and sketching a fantasy version of myself for another story. Donnel's little episode of gathering courage to face a group of bandits inspired me to write a backup story... though I scrapped it the second I found it completely embarrassing.

* * *

Verdant Nocturne, the enigmatic dark hero of Von Cooper Village, a village that is watched over Procyon Von Cooper, sometimes known as the Raccoon King. While the village is rich, most of his wealth is gained from treachery and shady deals. Because of this, Von Cooper Village is usually a hang-out for bandits and other sell swords.

Verdant Nocturne's real name as Miron Dorian, a villager of foreign descent. He's always dreamed of escaping Von Cooper's lawlessness and into the radiant kingdom of Iris. For the first few years of his childhood, he enjoyed tilling fields with his father and mother and playing games with his childhood friend, Roseus Ardeo. During his 8th birthday, his whole village was slaughtered and robbed by a group of bandits. When he discovered the slaughter, his cheery attitude would soon be replaced with a vengeful heart. When he went to his house, he realized that even though there was blood splattered everywhere, the bodies of his parents were missing, but Roseus's corpse showed her attempting to grab a picture hung on his wall. When he looked behind it, he saw a black and green tome with a green half moon on it. When he grabbed it, a surge of black and green lightning surged through his body, granting him a pact with the Noctis Tome.

Though he had great power, he never had great control of it from the start. The tome's magic itself was strong, but being a plebeian, he had no magic growth. He attempted to fight a huge amount of bandits arrogantly, but he was nearly killed, only to be saved by the Battle Mage, Luna. Though she wields a staff, she doesn't use it to heal, but to strike enemies with both blunt and magical might. Luna was the closest thing to a guardian that Miron had, so he requested for her guardianship, and she agreed.

As soon as he was 20, Miron had already grown up to be a strong and composed man. He became a seasoned magician and swordsman as well as acrobat. Even as a matured person, he grew more distant, leading him to become a vigilant on his own accord. He marked his name to the bandits in the event known as "Justiciar's Deception".

He gathered a group of the evilest bandits and pirates using a fake letter from Procyon Von Cooper II. It invited them for a deal for prostitutes in exchange for large amounts of gold.

When they met up in front of Von Cooper's palace, and they weren't visited by the King, but a lone man veiled in a black scarf and dark armor. He held a silver blade in his right hand and decimated the group of bandits with surges of black lightning from the skies. They all died quickly, but he realized that one of the people caught in the blast was Roseus, who actually faked her death. When he realized the consequences of vengeance, he now works as a sell sword or otherwise a selfless hero if the need is desperate. He made his identity a secret, donning his personal alias, Verdant Nocturne.

* * *

**Reality.**

"Where's my notes?!" I shouted crazily.

"Kehehehehe!" Sumia laughed, "If you want your notes, you must challenge me using your powers!"

I thought of something a bit sinister, but not too harmful to her or her feelings. With an evil grin unseen by Tumbles, I stared at her with a normal smile.

"If you're faster than Verdant Nocturne, than can you outrun me?"

I suddenly zipped out of my tent and quickly went to the end of the tent area. I saw Sumia running extremely fast and almost catching up to me, but she tripped on absolutely nothing... again.

"Alec~" she cried, "That was mean!"

"I'm sorry, Sumia," I helped her up and guided her to the eating area.

"Foods up, Shepherds!" Frederick called out.

When we both heard Mr. The Wary announce dinner, we both decided to eat dinner before it gets cold.

"Let's go eat dinner. The notes can wait."

"Yay~" she said weakly.

* * *

**After Dinner**

If I could choose the best chef right now, I'd say it'd probably be Frederick. 2nd being Virion, because he actually has skill in culinary arts. Frederick cooked his corn and chicken cuisine, which was my perfect meal. Even if I loved it, the others seemed to have loved it as well. With nothing really to do afterward, I went back to my tent, but was blocked by a certain tall muscly man. The Vaike.

"Vaike?"

"Hey, peewee, the Vaike needs to talk to you for a bit."

Even if Ricken is much smaller than me, I have a bit of a complex with my height.

"Wait, what? I thought Teach can handle almost everything himself."

With a sigh, he took off his arrogant persona and started to talk normally.

"Look, Alec, do you think that Maribelle might be into me?"

The inner machinations of my brain had a sudden malfunction. I think my mini-mes are trying to fix my sanity and grasp the situation calmly. But the only thing I need is something to say.

"Have you interacted with her lately?" was the only thing that sprout out of my mind.

"Well, she did ask if she was a snob," Vaike said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Could it be possible that she's just asking you that because you're of plebeian origin?"

Considering Vaike's bad manners and overall unrefined persona, maybe that's why she would ask the Vaike that.

"Well, yeah, and he also bashed on me about my birthplace," I think I see a vein on Vaike's head.

"What are you going to do?" I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrow.

"Should I keep talkin' with her?" Vaike said.

"Before I can answer that, answer this: Are YOU into her?"

"Er, I guess so? She's cute and all, but she's also a tigress with a sharp tongue that's as sharp as her claws and teeth."

With a light chuckle and a kind laughter, I patted his shoulder and walked away from him.

"Maybe you should," I said when I turned my head to him, "If you keep on working through hardship together, it probably will build intimacy."

I put my fist on my hip and held up my hand as if I was holding a plate.

"If you like Maribelle, maybe you should have her by your side in battle," I wiggled my finger as if I'm scolding him, "But it's your choice."

"Thanks for the help, Teach may be a powerful and even smart guy, but he still needs help from the peewee tactician."

"S-shut up! Don't look at me like I'm Ricken."

"Whatever, Alec, I'll see ya sometime."

Like Ricken, I too want to grow tall. But, from a distant and clouded memory, my height growth would lessen when I'm an adult. I'm already 18, and even I'm 5'6". That's freaking girl height. Well, Sumia is around 1 inch shorter, and Chrom is like 5'9.

With that, I retired to my tent and decided to listen to music. Suddenly, a soft theme started to play. The piano sounds both romantic and gentle. This mysterious instrument seems to somewhat fit me for some reason and blends well with the piano. I clicked on the button, but I saw some strange gauge on the upper right corner turn red. Is this the gadget's energy? Maybe I might have Miriel check on it.

* * *

**The next day. Inside Miriel's tent.**

"My, this otherworldly device is quite intriguing," Miriel commented as she scanned it, "You say that you utilize this device to exude music into those musical mediums?"

"Since you're the most intellectually gifted member in the Shepherds, I was wondering if you could figure out any way to 'charge' the battery."

"Battery?" she said, "Is this object in fact a hidden firing mechanism?"

I shook my head. Firing mechanism?

"I think the battery is some sort of energy storage for the device."

She fixed the position of her glasses and examined the device closely.

"I'll do what I can to fix this mechanism, as for now, leave me be, I need focus."

"Yes, and thank you for always being such a good and reliable friend."

* * *

**Miriel's tent. Her view**

"Friend?" I uttered to myself silently.

"This warm and alien feeling in my body is both seemingly dangerous, yet a boon?"

I looked at this object that Alec held on for most of his time as our tactician. The strangest thing from him is possibly his gift for tactics. An amnesiac, but still having a prodigious talent in strategy as if he was seasoned after years of war. These feelings and observations will be sorted out some other time. After all, this alien device that Alec has is intriguing at most, and not only is fixing it for his sake, but also a big step in my quest for knowledge.

* * *

**Next day. Noon**

"I yield!"

After the little skirmish on the Risen in the road to the Feroxi border, I teamed up with Lon'qu to hone my sword skills. He's accurate and swift, killing most of the axe wielding Risen quickly via his Killing Edge. When we were finished, a reluctant Lon'qu decided to teach me after I requested swordsman training.

"You're sluggish, Alec," he commented, "Even as a precise tactician, you should always have a technique ready to hit the certain weak point."

"Okay then."

"Strike me anywhere with your sword."

While most people are hesitant to hit their comrades, I seemed to trust Lon'qu's skill with the blade. I did as he was told, and he quickly clashed blades and pushed it aside. Such speed and strength with that counter.

"I may not be the greatest teacher, but you should experience failure first before you can achieve mastery," Lon'qu sternly said, "You're strikes are strong and sometimes precise. Your skill is quite impressive, but you're still not fast."

We both gave each other respectable distance and we held our blades firm. This time, Lon'qu was the first to strike. I managed to guard it in time, causing him to have to reel his blade back to prepare another strike. I managed to spot his preparatory stance: a two-handed lunge with his right hand by the guard of the sword. His left hip was exposed, so I threw a horizontal swing to it.

*Thwock!*

Lon'qu, with a stern, but blank face, clashed my sword with grace and speed. My eyes widened and my irises shrunk in surprise from this swift parry. He pushed me back and he quickly dashed to me and threw a quick overhead swing, but I managed to take a step to the side, dodging his sword. I quickly did a spin and threw my leg at him, but his left hand effectively stopped it.

"This is a sword fight, Alec," Lon'qu simply said.

He pushed my leg away and struck me down with a powerful thrust to the back. I fell down to my knees and Lon'qu put his training sword by my neck.

"I've faced people like that in Ferox," Lon'qu commented, "I'm surprised that you aspire to also learn Chon'sin martial arts."

I extended my hand to him, but Lon'qu simply shook his head. He stared at me with his usual reluctant, but cool glare.

"In Ferox, you muster your own strength to get up."

Hours passed, and most of them involved me being brutally struck by Lon'qu. Despite all my losses (and complaints), my skills in the sword were improved from every mistake I made. With Lon'qu's brutal honesty, I managed to fix my mistakes after a few losses. It was about to be dinner time, and this is our last training session for today.

We both readied our swords and prepared for combat. This time, I attacked first. I quickly lunged to Lon'qu, resulting in my sword missing my target. Lon'qu did a backflip and landed in a crouching position with his sword pointing to the ground. I attempted to attack him, but he disappeared.

"This move..."

I dubbed this technique, the Myrmidon Massacre; a powerful technique where the user is so swift that it feels like you're hit by invisible blades. But after being victim to it 12 times, I managed to predict the first strike: a heavy upward slice that could slice the legs if not careful. While that' technique amounts to 9% of my losses, Lon'qu said it was an extremely exhausting technique, and even if its brutal, it would teach me how to react faster, as well as endure strikes.

I went into a ducking guard position saw my wooden sword chip a bit from an invisible upward slash. The next was an overhead slash, so I had to be in standing guard position.

The next was an invisible lunge; the lunge that would usually break my sword. I had to dodge right on time. I had to time this side step right, or it's game over. I heard the wooden sword tear through the wind, so I took a step to the side. I felt a strong wind blow past me then back to where Lon'qu was. This time, Lon'qu was about to deliver the final blow. I managed to dodge the swift strikes, now I have to deal against the finisher.

_Attack 1: Lower upward slash_

_Attack 2: Overhead Diving slash_

_Attack 3: Guard breaking Lunge_

_Attack 4: The Finisher__  
_

I noticed that he'd usually do a spinning slash to finish it off. He could be anywhere. I looked behind me, and then I saw a shadow to my by my right arm. I attempted to strike him before he could swing at me, but challenging Lon'qu's speed was the biggest mistake.

"Guoogh!"

* * *

**After Dinner (again)**

This time, Sumia was on mess duty, and she cooked soup. Though I'm more of a meat eater, I loved the flavor of the soup. It was tender, warm, and had the right amount of salt. I thought about my swordplay and magic power while looking at a dim reflection of myself on the soup. Is there a sword with magic power? I'd like to use a sword like that if I come across it. Speaking of magic swords.

"Sumia!"

No response from her tent, even though she's clearly inside it. Do I have to call her her make-believe name? Was it Estelle? Estellise? With a groan, I called her fake name.

"Estella?"

A shrill scream was heard, causing her to immediately come out and cover my mouth.

"Okay, okay, I like my little alias, but can you not speak it out loud!"

With a silent nod, I politely took her hand off my face.

"Just give me back my notes," I said, "They're mine, and I don't think it's even polite to take people's stuff without their permission."

She looked away sadly, then looked at me.

"B-but your writing is so cool!"

"No, I don't think it is. Not just because it's embarrassing, but because no one accepts whatever I create."

This time, I was sad. It's like I had a memory of how I was like. I feel like I was a loner who didn't have any big talents. If I did, when and how did I aspire to become a great tactician? What's this melancholy doing in my life?

I wanted to cry from the impact of my own words, but Sumia held my shoulder and gazed at me with a smile on her face.

"I accept it, your such a great writer, tactician, and friend," she said in a comforting tone, "Because of that battle to the Feroxi border is what inspired me to fight. When I got on my pegasus, I felt the strength of the Shepherds become part of me, and through your guidance, I was able to survive and grow strong."

She then reeled her right hand and threw a fist to my face, knocking me down to the ground. The sound of Sumia gasping from her violent action was heard through my non-grounded ear.

"What was that for?" I said weakly.

"Alec! I'm sorry, I was suppose to slap you," she said in a panicky voice.

I got up and wiped my cheek. Damn, it stings.

"You slap with an open palm," I replied, "But, listening to you, I realized that I shouldn't doubt myself, otherwise I'd fail as a tactician."

With a genuine grin (despite the damage on my cheek) I waved goodbye as I went to my tent.

"Wait, Alec, can I keep your notes on Verdant Nocturne?"

I looked back at her with an embarrassed face. I breathed deep as to suppress my embarrassed anger. What is she going to do with it? Maybe I shouldn't be negative right now.

"...Fine," I said silently, "But don't write anything on it, okay?"

Sumia nodded fervently and returned to her tent. I walked through the grass, until Chrom spotted me. With a serious face, he beckoned me to come with him.

"We've War Council right now, Alec. You must attend."

"Yep."

Knowing about my role, I followed Chrom to the Barracks Tent. What will the Shepherds face next?

* * *

**Author's Notes (again)**

**After watching all of Love, Chuunibyou, and other Delusions to study a bit of romance, I made Alec be in touch with some of his inner-child, but, it's not like Sundowner's case of kids bein' cruel. After reading books with Sumia and going through adventures with the Shepherds, he starts to believe in extremely tall-tales.**

**Also, I hit over 2k views. Even if I have a small following, I'm still proud of this fic.**


	12. Assassins Bleed

**Chapter 11**

Assassins Bleed

After no news of big bandit or Risen activity, we all returned to Ylisstol to discuss our next move on Plegia. Back in the Border Pass, the negotiations have turned into a war declaration when Maribelle was kidnapped. Luckily, Ricken came in to the rescue, and we managed to kill off Gangrel's forces. What a fool Orton was when he had a force of wyverns. Ricken was ready with his Elwind spell; a natural anti-wyvern weapon. Chrom's Falchion, and Lon'qu's Wyrmslayer finished the mobile riders in an instant thanks to swords having advantages over axes.

I saw potential in Ricken that I can save for later. Despite his age, he can shrug off more physical damage than Miriel.

Chrom and I hung out in the outer gardens of the palace under the moonlight. Even as it was quite a peaceful night, I just kept my sword and tome with me.

"Heya Chrom," I greeted as I sat down on the rim of a fountain.

"Alec, good to see you," my friend greeted with a calm smile.

"Well, I'm here to talk about Gangrel," I said, "Was all that he said about your father true?"

Gangrel went on about the current Ylissean royalty being hypocrites. He said that Ylisse once invaded Plegia under the rule of the last Exalt: Chrom's father. Gangrel just wanted the Fire Emblem, a last resort weapon to save the world, to kill Ylisseans for the sake of vengeance... or justified slaughter. I'm even surprised that Emmeryn, a spawn of the last Exalt, has no hint of ambition or bloodlust.

"...Yes, my father waged war on Plegia for 15 years," Chrom said.

"Wait, why did he wage war on Plegia?" I asked ,"Is there something that they had that Ylisse didn't have?"

"Well, two reasons," Chrom said as he put up two fingers.

"One, Plegia actually has a cult dedicated to reviving the Fell Dragon, Grima," Chrom said.

"Grima?"

"He's a dragon that wishes to usher the end of the world."

I told that stranger in my dreams that I hate cults involving human sacrifices. For some reason, I think it's cliche for dark cults to require human sacrifices. Do Grima worshipers do that? Am I linked to the Grima worshippers?

"I see."

"Two, Plegia is wealthy, and when my father discovered it during his 'crusade', his little war eventually turned into a conquest to take over Plegia."

"I'm guessing ever since Emmeryn suddenly took over, Ylisse stopped sending men?"

"Yes. The state that father put on our land was horrific. A 15 year war which cost a lot of good men. Our army's numbers shrunk, and father started to conscript farmers not strong enough to even hold a pitchfork," just talking about seemed to make Chrom cringe. For some reason, I feel like a certain place nearly does the same thing.

"When my father died, Emmeryn was only 10," this was a surprising fact, "When she got introduced as the new Exalt, the citizens threw stones and insults at her. Because of the hatred of the exalt on both Plegia and Ylisse, she had to receive their hatred."

"Those Ylisseans that time... too absorbed in themselves to not understand the hardship of Emmeryn's sudden role."

"Yes, she never showed the citizens how she felt. Only Lissa and I understood."

"10 years old, and already detested by the public..."

Poor Emmeryn. I really hope that she's not absorbed in a deep hole of melancholy inside that peace seeking persona.

"To know peace and love, one must know hate and pain..."

Chrom seemed to smile at what I said. I don't know whether I was right, or because I was perceptive?

"You're a good listener and one with powerful vision," Chrom complimented.

"Perhaps through all that pain, she learned of the mistakes that her father made," Chrom said, "The villagers scorned and hated her, but she exchanged it for love and care. She commanded the soldiers to return home, and ended the war."

"Emmeryn really is a saint."

"She IS peace, and because of that, she's the one that's worth most in protecting."

We suddenly heard footsteps behind me. I looked behind me and saw the masked man/woman: Marth.

"Good evening to you," he said politely.

I put my hand on my sword, in case she'd attempt to cut me down. Basilio said that Marth promised to cut me down for mistaking her sex.

"Peace, Alec," she said, "I came here not to cut you down."

I put my hand away from the sword.

"How did you get in here?" Chrom asked.

With a smirk, she pointed to the maple grove.

"A small cleft at the maple grove."

Chrom seemed to have a weird history behind this cleft. Raising my brow, I look at Chrom.

"Something wrong, Chrom?" I asked.

"Well, while I was training with the Shepherds, I made hole in the wall," Chrom nervously replied, "It was only a small hole, and I thought it was concealed well..."

With crossed arms, Marth shook her head.

"Your secret is safe with me," Marth replied, "But I came here to warn you."

"Of what?" Chrom asked.

"The exalt. Her life is in danger."

Chrom squinted his eyes at Marth, inquisitive of his/her "warning".

"That's absurd! Emmeryn is guarded at all times," Chrom said.

"What if I told you that I've seen the future?" he/she said, "A future where Emmeryn is killed here. Tonight."

Both of us with furrowed brows, Chrom answered back.

"Seen the future? Are you a lunatic?"

Marth sighed from Chrom's replied and shook his/her head.

"I knew it would come to this. Allow me to prove it."

She unsheathed the Falchion from his/her hip and looked at the bush behind him/her. Chrom held his Falchion and looked at the bush.

"I'm about to save your life."

Suddenly, an assassin sprung out of the bush. Marth tossed the Falchion up high and did a graceful back flip. As Marth stood behind the assassin, he immediately cut him down, ending the assassin's life.

"I believe this is enough proof?"

Chrom, with a bead of sweat on his brow, and a stern look, nodded.

"Yes."

Suddenly, another sprout out of the bushes and attempted to attack Marth. He reacted fast and turned to the assassin, but the sword that he stepped on caused him to slip backward. The assassin attempted to cut him into two, but the blade only cut the mask. As if by magic, Marth's hair unfurled, revealing not only long hair, but a feminine face. I knew it!

Chrom shot through the assassin, gashing the assailant with a powerful swing from his Falchion. When Chrom turned to Marth, he was surprised by the sight of the mask-less Marth.

"Wait, what Alec assumed was true?"

"Yes, your tactician has quite the eye for detail," she replied with a smile.

"Seriously, was the actual Marth that slender?"

_"Gods, is Chrom this dense? No wonder why he can't realize Sumia's obvious feelings for her."_

"Did you say something, Alec?" Chrom responded to my whisper.

All of a sudden, an explosion was heard from behind me. All of us looked to where the sound came from and immediately made a run to the sound.

* * *

**Ylisstol Palace**

We got into position. 11 people, 6 on the west, and the other 5 on the east. Sully, Kellam, Stahl, and Lissa, and Maribelle are on the east, while Chrom, Sumia, Frederick, Gaius, Lon'qu, and I are on the west.

"Marth" was guarding the door to Emmeryn's room, where she lay refuge in. Despite being indoors, the ceiling was high enough for a pegasus to fly without feeling too cramped.

There were a few nearby fighters on our side. Sumia and I made quick work of the fighters, using my sword and her agile lance. Frederick and Chrom proved to be much more stronger together, and Lon'qu and Gaius being the sword wielders they are, also made quick work of the fighters.

Sully and Kellam prove to be a powerful duo. Nearly all of the attacks that Kellam is receiving don't flinch or push back the invisible knight. Sully is a great support. Stahl felt much more invigorated with Lissa cheering him on and healing his wounds. Maribelle's healing was powerful too, and the knight and cavaliers mowed down their opponents like a juggernaut charging through a wall.

While we had the numbers on our side, there were two openings that we had to deal with. Marth, though a strong fighter, had a hard time sustaining damage from the axe strikes and magic. Lon'qu and Gaius showed signs of exhaustion from the massive amounts of forces taking the second opening to the south. Maybe I should help him, but I have to take care of these pesky dark mages to the west.

"Huuuraagh!"

Suddenly, I heard a crash to the south. Lon'qu and Gaius were immediately surprised from the sudden crash in front of them. The smoke cleared, a giant bunny was there.

"Marth, is the large bunny an ally?" I asked the blue haired lady.

"Yes, Panne is an ally."

"That's a..."

The bunny suddenly shifted into a smaller human. Panne has the brown fur of her rabbit form on some parts of her body. She also has long bunny ears, wrapped around by her hairs. She wore simple light armor that showed most of her skin.

"If your in my way, I'll claw you down."

"Either away, you're welcome to join as long you help us," Chrom said.

"I'll take orders from you for now, man-spawn," she glared at me coldly.

I nodded and pointed to Lon'qu.

"Assist Lon'qu, Panne," I said, "Gaius, ask Emm if you can open that chest right by her desk."

"Um, okay," Gaius replied as he ran to Emmeryn's room.

As more forces were thrown at us. I've started to notice that the west side's advance halted momentarily. Kellam, even with a javelin, was still having a hard time avoiding the dark magic of the mages. Stahl had to retreat temporarily after sustaining damages from the fluxes, lances, and axes. Lissa and Maribelle provided good support, healing their meat shields with their all. Noticing that the west hall soldiers were doing fine, I decided that I should help them.

"Sumia, let's help the west side," I said.

"Got it!"

She rose high and glided toward the west. I unsheathed my sword and prepared for attack on the fighter wielding the hammer. Sumia threw a powerful curved lunge, followed up by my sword. When the pegasus was about to turn away, I extended my palm to the fighter and struck him down with a powerful Elthunder.

"Nice combo, Alec," Sumia complimented, "I wonder if you wrote about Verdant Nocturne having a pegasus riding sidekick."

Though embarrassed at first, I chuckled lightly in response.

"I was thinking of one..."

She giggled playfully and spun her lance into position.

"Let's finish this battle first, then we can start writing on Verdant Nocturne's tale."

"Can we save that for another time? We need to finish my first story," I replied.

"Speaking of story," she threw a lunge at a dark mage, piercing the latter's skin, "Thought of a title?"

I decapitated the dark mage swung off the blood off my sword.

"I don't know, I'll tell you my title ideas after this," I conjured a series of magic seals and summoned a powerful lightning bolt to kill the cavalier about to attack Maribelle.

Kellam, Stahl, and Sully started to advance, killing most of the remaining people left. The same explosion noise was heard on the east, so Sumia and I quickly moved to the scene. Chrom managed to dodge the Elfire cast by that strange sorcerer. Wait, is that the sorcerer in my dream? He looked to me with his eerie eyes and grinned.

"Oh, it's you," he simply said, "What a coincidence for you to meet me here."

"State your name, harlot!" I pointed my sword at him.

"I am Validar, don't you remember?"

"I've never met you in my life."

"Well then, the only thing you'll remember is THIS!"

A surge of fire suddenly erupted underneath Sumia and I. The pegasus knight managed to fly out of danger in time, but another Elfire circle appeared on the ground. I looked above and saw Validar, levitating with book in hand. The pegasus barely made it out, having half of its body engulfed in fire. While it had strong magic resistance, the pegasus was weakened, leaving Sumia and I earthbound.

"Hehehe, now I don't have to aim at you guys," he said as he lay down airborne.

"Don't get too cocky, Validumb!"

"Don't speak to your elders like that!"

He summoned another Elfire circle underneath Sumia. The klutzy girl tried to run away, but tripped. I managed to grab Sumia and toss her away from the fire circle before it detonated.

"Auugh!"

His magic power is strong. It was hard for me to stand after being damaged from these flames.

"Alec!" Sumia shouted.

"You'll... pay!"

A brown blur suddenly pounced on Validar. When I saw the blur touch the ground with Validar under it, I realized it was Panne.

"You're safe, Alec," Panne said.

"Thank you, Panne."

I got up right in time for Maribelle to catch up and heal me.

"You'll be okay, darling," she said softly.

Suddenly, Panne was engulfed in flame, causing her to flee in panic. Lissa used her newly found physic staff to heal the burning bunny. Despite her state, Panne decided to rest. Validar extended a palm to Lissa, but was protected by Maribelle, who managed to resist his powerful magic.

"No one hurts my dear Lissa!" Maribelle huffed.

Stahl attempted to strike the sorcerer, only for the latter to vanish. Stahl turned to his left, witnessing the sorcerer throw a flaming fist at his chest. Stahl got knocked off of his horse and winced in pain. Stahl was still alive, but his resistance to magic is low.

"Get lost, chump!"

Sully threw a javelin at Validar with vehement force. Validar got impaled by the javelin, but only smiled in response. He cringed a little from the sharp lance, but the pain he felt wasn't strong enough to make him falter. He formed two fire balls above him and shot to the ground underneath Sully's horse. The red haired cavalier was aware of the spell's procedure, managing to dodge the fire pillar prior to its detonation.

"Heh, am I that obvious?" Validar said with a grin.

"Looks like it, oldie," she spat back.

The pillar of flame shot out diagonally instead of upward, scorching Sully in a blaze of fire. I saw Lissa, cowering from Validar. When our eyes contacted, I pretended to hold a staff and raised it up high and pointed it to Sumia's damaged pegasus. She nodded and quickly scurried to her. Sumia, sat on her knees, feeling useless without her pegasus. Even if she's quite athletic and fit for battle, she still feared tripping accidentally.

"Sumia, let's go!"

"I... I can't, I'm going to trip again," Sumia said with a sad tone.

Sad as she is, she has to overcome that sadness. This is war, Sumia, you need to stand up and fight. But if she can't on her own...

"Sumia..."

I reached out my hand to her, causing Sumia to nervously cringe.

"Alec, I can't fight, I can only fight while on a pegasus."

"Sometimes, when your steed is damaged, you need to know how to survive while she's being healed," I smiled warmly and sighed greatly before continuing, "Verdant Nocturne, has traveled through the highs and lows on his steed, but when his steed was damaged by his rival, Hawkeye Lowe, he had to protect his horse with only his sword and magic. But even without his steed, the mysterious Estella helped her when he was outmatched by his skill in the bow."

"Estella helped Verdant Nocturne?" she had a cheerier look on her face.

"Yes, now come, it's time for Verdant Nocturne to return the favor!"

She bravely stood up and held her lance strong. I scanned Validar and witnessed his parameters. As usual for a Sorcerer, he has fearsome magic power and tough defense, but also lacked speed and resistance. What made up for his speed was his teleportation ability, but he seems to be quite slow. His only weakness right now is the limitations of his teleportation ability; it seems to drain considerable energy.

"All right!"

"But first, here's the plan..."

After I whispered to her the plan, she nodded and we both charged at the opponent. I charged in and swung at his legs, but Validar managed to dodge it. Sumia tried to stab him from his left, only for Validar to disappear again. This time, the sorcerer floated above us again. If my prediction is correct...

"Gaah!" A pegasus rammed Validar from behind with her head.

"Tana!" Sumia shouted, cheerfully relieved of her pegasus's recovered state.

Frederick entered the scene and raised his lance to skewer Validar, tossing him back into the air. Chrom stood up on the armored horse and delivered the finishing blow to the sorcerer with a great leap.

Chrom landed on the ground with Falchion dug on the palace floor. Validar dropped to the ground, dying from massive damage.

"H-how did you know of the plan?"

With those words, Validar gave his last breath and died.

* * *

**After clean up.**

"Don't worry, you'll be fine, Twinkie," I said to one of the enemies' suffering horse.

It was breathing heavily from its wound, causing me to feel sorry for having cavalier opponents. I started to sniffle and I just wanted to cry. Some of the horses died on me, but this one seemed to be strong. I hope Lissa's staff can also heal horses. Some of the horses were spared, saved for training to serve Ylissean cavaliers in the future.

"Hello, darling," Maribelle said as she crouched beside me.

"Oh, hello milady," I said with some tears on my eyes.

"Oh, poor horse, he's a fighter," she said as she gently pet him.

"Do you think you can use your Mend staff to heal him?"

"I can feel your sorrow for this poor creature," with a smile she shone her staff on the horse.

The horse started to feel less weak and managed to stand up with my help. I hugged the horse lovingly and let the floodgate of tears rupture.

"Twinkie!" I wept, "Oh Twinkie, I don't want you to be in that kind of suffering again!"

I looked at Maribelle with a grateful grin.

"Thanks milady," I said with tears in my eyes.

"Tee hee, no need to call me milady, darling," she said as she smiled, "Just Maribelle is fine, Alec."

"Alec?" I heard Chrom and I immediately turned to him.

"What is it Chrom?" I asked.

"Do you know where Marth is?"

"From what I heard from her, I think she's at the outer gardens," I pointed to the outside with my thumb.

Chrom immediately ran toward said location, leaving me to deal with the Exalt and Panne.

With a smile, Emmeryn did a grateful curt bow to her.

"Thank you, brave taguel for your valor," she said gratefully, "Words can't express how grateful I am."

"I'm guessing Taguel are beast-human hybrids?"

The bunny girl nodded, smiling at my perception.

"Why yes, we taguel are shape-shifters. But I'm the last of my kind."

Humans can be so ambitious that the extinction of a race can mean nothing to them.

"You man-spawns call us "beasts" or "coneys" when they hunt for us," Panne said, "I only helped you because of the warren's debt to Ylisse."

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

"Don't think of us as friends, tactician."

I shrugged, but she might be part of the Shepherds anyway. Besides, Maribelle started out as prissy and a "tigress" according to Vaike. Maybe someone is kind enough to warm her heart through our journey.

"I guess you're very unsure of being friends with humans, probably with what they did to your race."

"You man-spawns invaded our warren and slaughtered all of my people."

I sighed from hearing this. I think I can understand what it's like to have a family killed off by barbarians. These ruffians remind me of human beings themselves. We destroy the homes of others for the sake of settlement or superiority. Humanity may have blood permanently stained on their hands, but even then, humans have the will to overcome their primal desires and ascend as something much better.

"Goodness, Panne! Who could do such a thing?!"

"Heh, all of you humans are the same!" she still frowned, even with that "heh!".

"All of you have the same desire to ruin and destroy all you touch, even if it's your own kind."

I know there's some truth in those words, but not all humans are the same.

"...Your words ring some truth in them, taguel," Emmeryn replied, "From what I studied, the taguel society treats everyone as equals."

She put her hand on her heart and closed her eyes.

"Mankind would have learned much from your warren. Though it feels too late and has little meaning, I am deeply sorry."

Phila raised her brow, but was still surprised that she's apologizing as if she did something wrong.

"Your Grace, you had nothing to do with the taguel slaughter," Phila, the falcon knight said.

"Your words are but wind to me," Panne said as she shook her head. After her head shake, she smiled with her brows expressing zeal, "But you feel my pain as if it was yours."

With crossed arms, she smiled once more.

"I shall join you man-spawns for now."

* * *

**Road to Breakneck Pass (Cue Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech! Ptooey!)**

The Sheps might call me a stalker if they found my Troops Notes Journal. I drew simple sketches of the heads of who's in the Shepherds. I drew most of the guys on the left side of the page, while the girls are on the right. I began to mumble silently to myself.

"Hmmm, Sully should go with Kellam..."

I drew a line between the blank faced knight and the hot-headed Sully. I've been noticing that Kellam has a tendency to protect Sully sometimes. Ever since the Feroxi wall "breach", he was willing to go in front of her to prevent a lethal arrow from coming to her.

"Let's see, Stahl seems to like Lissa..." I drew a line between the two.

"Frederick..." I noticed he's a good person to use in the early parts. I know that he's powerful, but soon, all of us will outgrow him. Even if I invest my time in him, I'm not sure he would be strong in the end.

"So, Frederick is forever alone? Maybe, he might get some girls after this war is over; we'll basically be heroes."

I put my pencil on top of Virion. There might be more chicks coming in later, and he's a best bud. I'll keep him on reserve.

"Hey, Alec!" the strong arm of Vaike strangled my neck. I quickly closed my journal.

"Doin' more tactician stuff?" he asked.

"Pretty much..." I replied.

Vaike then inched closer to my ear and whispered.

"So, Alec, wanna stalk Maribelle while she's bathing?"

My eyes widened and I slightly flinched.

"If you're so into her, why don't you go yourself?"

"I overhead a bit of her conversation with Sumia," Vaike said in a hushed voice, "Almost everyone in the camp knows that you're into her."

I stammered a bit and looked both ways quickly. With a twitch and a glare, I replied in a silent angry voice.

"Who started this whole gossip train?!"

"The Vaike can see the fates of the-"

I glared at him eerily as I pointed a knife to his neck.

"Okay, it was Gaius!"

Is the thief in the team the archetypal mischief? I've gotta think of a way to get back at him...

"Well, sorry, I can't," I said, "I've got business to attend to."

With a "gentle pat" he finally left me alone. I wiped the end of my back with my free hand and put away my journal. This whole pair up thing feels like a dirty voyeur's dream. Not like I am one... or was.

* * *

**Chapter 11, people.**

**Initially, I was about to make Alec hear voices of the other My units, telling them to put Frederick with someone. I'll probably not do that... yet.**

**Alec's age is 18, and while he's a powerful tactician, is still quite dumb and forgetful. I'm trying my hardest to not Gary Stu him like most MU's in-game. I really don't have much to say right now, so I guess I'll stop.**

**Next Chapter: Miss I-Am-Perfect-but-not-perfect-enough-to-get-him-to-fall-for-me-in-a-fortnight's debut.**


	13. Douchebags on Dragons

**Chapter 12**

Douchebags on Dragons

"How many more innocent people will you kill, Plegian?!" I shouted angrily as I gripped my blade.

"We were suppose to have a meeting," the general said, "No weak people are allowed."

This cliff side area is a good place for wyvern riders to ambush earthbound troops. There were a few archers too, and the trademark Plegian barbarians. I equipped myself with my Elthunder tome, as most of these people have low resistance, especially the wyvern riders. Ricken and Miriel are equipped with Wind tomes, powerful weapons against airborne opponents such as wyvern riders. I brought Virion, though he was alone, but arrows are always good anti-air. Chrom is naturally equipped with an anti-dragon weapon, which is also effective against wyverns: his Falchion. Though Frederick will be Chrom's companion in battle, his silver lance is strong enough to heavily wound a wyvern. Stahl has a Wyrmslayer, and Lissa by his side to heal him. Vaike will be another front-line fighter, with Maribelle behind her and providing much needed healing on the endangered fighter.

With all this set, Sumia helped me up on her pegasus and we got ready for war.

Due to the potential ambushes of the wyverns, I decided to take a more cautious and defensive approach to the general.

"Alright Shepherds, here's the plan..."

My plan I affectionately call the Bulwark, involves the bulkier fighters take the front lines and absorb most of the damage, while the ranged fighters clear out anyone who isn't finished by the front-line fighters. We were to take small steps to the end of the pathway and clear out the boss.

"Well planned," Frederick nodded as he clutched his lance.

"Shepherds, to arms!"

With Vaike, Stahl, and Frederick in the front, they are able to tank most of the damage while most of the ranged people can finish off those who were damaged by the shield. Maribelle and Lissa did their work by healing the front line people. Sumia and I took some of the wyvern riders head on. The progress was slow, until I accidentally exploited Virion to a wyvern rider to the south. Oh crap!

"You fiend!" Virion weakly said.

He ran away a good distance and weakly aimed at the wyvern. His arrow pierced the soft underside of the wyvern's neck, causing the rider to drop down to the ground. My side was fine, so I gave Sumia a signal to help Virion. The rider slowly got up and charged at the defenseless Virion. Virion attempted to dodge it, but a steel lance already impaled the wyvern rider. A red haired beauty riding on a pegasus was the lancer. I heard Sumia breathe in deep as if she was about to shout.

"Cordelia!" Sumia shouted happily.

"Sumia!" Cordelia said with a smile.

Sumia told me about one of her friends who joined the Pegasus Knight Troop of Ylisse. Cordelia is one of the youngest and most talented of all of them. But why is she helping us out if Ylisse is being protected by them? Unless...

"Guys, we've gotta end this battle quick!" I shouted. I have a bad feeling about this.

"Virion, go with Cordelia," I commanded, "This might be good practice for horseback archery."

"Horseback archery is quite a boon, especially with-"

I put one finger on my lips, telling him to shut up. Cordelia seems like the person to like order and austerity. I already knew what Virion was going to say.

"Let's just go."

Cordelia and Virion proved to be quite a deadly force against the wyverns. With Cordelia's mobility and strength with the javelin plus Virion's arrows and natural strength and skill, they were able to kill off most of the wyverns camping on top of the mountains. The ground forces were doing well. After I bought two reeking boxes using almost half of our treasury, I put them through actual combat to make my troops grow strong. Because of this, the ground combatants could easily mow through, but the more fragile yet powerful units like me can't take much damage.

Virion and Cordelia locked on to the leader. They both shot their projectiles, only this time, the arrow did some damage, while the javelin was simply blocked. He grabbed his axe and threw it at Cordelia with vehement strength. Cordelia is much more powerful attack-wise, but she can't dodge as much as Sumia. The axe heavily damaged her, forcing her to stay on the ground for now. The pegasus was too damaged to fly, but could survive as long as it isn't being focused by axes.

"Cordelia, stay with Maribelle and Lissa for now," she nodded to my command. I looked at Chrom and Frederick, "Us four will take care of the leader."

I turned to my left, only staring at the two magicians with my left eye. I did a small hand gesture, signaling them of emergency assistance. Since I told them of the plan before this whole fight started, both complied immediately, shown through their nods.

"Gah, where're my reinforcements?!" the general shouted to the skies. Then, he looked at me with his head leaning back, "I am Vasto, and my wyvern's been hungry for some horse and human meat."

This time, I initiated the attack. Sumia flew up high and I held my sword and Elthunder tome tightly. Vasto proved to have deadly precision that parallels his strength. Sumia managed to dodge it, nearly having the short axe shred Tana's pelt. The wyvern proved to be fast, closing in to us in mere seconds. Vasto already had another steel axe at his disposal, which he used to try and swing at us. I swung at his axe with my blade, causing his weapon to recoil. He still held that axe strong, allowing him to swing back. This time, Sumia's iron lance handle blocked the steel axe swing. As weak as she is in strength, she proved to be able to hold her lance strong from a steel axe's swing.

"Sumia, if you hold on longer then..."

My eyes widened in surprise, reliving the dream I had yesterday. Sumia, suddenly killed by many wyvern riders who came from all sides. But it all started with her lance breaking.

"I'll help!" I carefully stood up on her pegasus and hopped onto Vasto's wyvern with a lunging slash. The wyvern immediately panicked from the sudden alien presence.

"Alec, catch this!" Frederick tossed to me Stahl's wyrmslayer.

Chrom suddenly shot into the air and up to Vasto's height and threw a mighty swing at his wyvern with Falchion. The wyvern cried in pain and dropped a few meters before recovering. I still hung on to the wyvern, but Vasto grabbed my collar brutally and stared at me menacingly. Even with the turbulence, the wyvern rider still hung on.

"What do ya think you're gonna do, ride my wyvern?"

The wyvern's tail grappled my neck, causing me to struggle out. Vasto rubbed the edge of his axe playfully on my neck as he giggled cruelly.

"You've got guts, kid," he commented, "I want a better look."

I grabbed my wyrmslayer on my left hand and put it in dagger grip. Before the axe could sever my neck, the tail of the wyvern was severed first. The wyvern shrieked in pain, losing control of its flight and dropping down. I fell off the steed with Vasto, but the rider still held on to a rope that attached to the wyvern's gag.

"Whoa there, calm down, sucker!" he commanded the wyvern.

"Alec!" Ricken shouted, "Don't worry, I'll help you!"

He grabbed his Elwind tome and formed a steady tornado on the ground. When I landed in the tornado, I was gently carried by the winds of the spell.

"Thanks, Ricken," I said with a gentle smile, "Do you think you can control the tornado to launch me back?"

"Um, I'll try," he strengthened the tornado's size, causing me to elevate higher into the sky.

"Hey, mage, thanks for the target," Vasto shouted.

He was about to charge at me, but then he redirected the wyvern to Ricken. Wait, crap! I'm falling!

"Uwwaah!"

"Alec!"

Sumia grabbed my hand with both of her hands. She was about to fall, but I grabbed her arm and I told her to pull me up through an upward head tilt. She pulled me up and soon, I found myself straddling on her. I immediately pushed myself away and went behind her on the pegasus saddle.

"Gotcha!" Ricken extended his palm at the wyvern, launching a blade of wind at him, yet the wyvern rider dodged.

"Such agility and reflexes that scaled winged beast contains," Miriel said as she cleaned her glasses, "Oh, if I must."

She used her Rexcalibur to create a powerful pillar of wind to launch the wyvern (and Vasto).

"Hey Miriel, when did you get that Rexcalibur tome?" Ricken said with a raised brow.

"I think that was the time when I used that reeking box in Border Pass," I said weakly.

"Ugghh, Maribelle, Lissa, I need some help..." I groaned painfully, "I hope staves can cure nausea."

A sudden crashing noise was heard. Vasto's body lay down on the ground, dead.

We looked eastward and saw a band of wyvern riders, axes ready. Chrom and the others prepared their swords and charged at them. They're seasoned enough to fight those riders, so I decided I should stay with Sumia.

As I expected, the battle was over within a matter of minutes. Chrom and Stahl's anti-wyvern weapons were the game breakers. With a smile, I fainted, nausea and dizziness taking over.

* * *

**Camp Site**

"Oh, Alec, you're awake," she said with a relieved smile.

"How long has it been ever since I fainted?" I groaned weakly.

"It has only been a few hours, don't worry,"

"Anything I missed out?" I asked.

She scratched her head nervously.

"Well, you see, do you remember Cordelia?"

The red haired girl on the pegasus? I guess so.

"I'm guessing her little escape has something to do with what you're about to say?"

"Yeah, Gangrel and his forces invaded Ylisstol while we fought against Vasto's forces. Cordelia was the only one from the Pegasus Knight Squad to go away."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sumia," I hesitated for a moment, "I mean Estella."

"Well, the Estella persona just seems awkwardly childish now..."

The klutzy pegasus rider looked away nervously.

"I... I just made that little persona just because Verdant Nocturne was so cool, so I just wanted to imagine a less klutzier yet cooler me."

As much as I'd outburst from embarrassment, I didn't want to. Aside from Lissa, I think Sumia is the closest girl to me. Realizing she still had my notes on Verdant Nocturne, I decided to even the odds.

"Sumia, I like both you and Estella, heck I want to know more about this Estella character," I said smiling, "If you were to ditch your own persona, I'd really miss the kind and caring person you are."

Sumia blushed from the latter. She put her hands on her chest as if she got some sort of palpitation. Her eyes showed deep surprise.

"Am I kind? I usually just do things because I have to," Sumia is showing low self-esteem again.

"I'm so sorry I can't really relate, Sumia," I said apologetically, "My clouded past can't be used as justification, and these random memories I have can seem biased."

I sat up from the futon and stared at her eyes. She was looking away, so I can't really see her irises. She seems to have a melancholic expression. Is she sad because of something bad in her past? She even admits that sometimes she reads to get away from reality. But this will only add to her low self-esteem. As if I was about to cry, I decided I should resort to the most reasonable affection.

"Sumia..."

She looked at me with an inquisitive look. I dove into her and wrapped her with my arms. I can tell from her body language she showed immediate surprise. Initial surprise shifted into tender affection as she hugged me back.

"Please don't change who you are," I muffled on her shoulder, "I'll always miss you, Estella or not."

She patted me on the back and gently pushed me away so I could see her face.

"Say, Alec um," she was blushing madly, putting her hands on her cheek to cover it, "Do you want to go on a date to town when we're free?"

With a refreshing chuckle, I sat cross-legged and nodded.

"Of course, we've been hanging out for a long time, you know,"

"Thank you~," she said with a giggle as she cuddled next to my shoulder. An extremely warm feeling on my face suddenly took over. Despite the warmth of her cuddle, I pulled her in closer.

"This experience is good for our novel," I said softly.

"Our novel?!"

She immediately got up and was about to run for her tent, but she halted herself and turned to me.

"Oh, sorry if I ruined it."

"Continue, sweetie, working together on our novel will bring us close, no?"

She nodded with a fervent smile and whisked away to her tent. A surge of positive energy is flowing inside me like a river system of purely fresh water. It seems I'm still in my usual combat garbs: the beige sleeveless shirt under a dark purple hooded coat and white slim pants with boots. My red shoes were unsuitable for movement, so I only wore them on casual occasions. To prevent any perverted moments, I looked outside the tent if Sumia was near. Fortunately, she wasn't, so I decided to my wardrobe and switch into pajamas.

Sumia came back in her own pink nightgown as if she's going to some sort of slumber party. Before we could start, I ran to the mess tent to grab some spare drinks and snacks (much to my surprise, the snacks weren't stolen by Sticky Fingers Gaius). We continued to spew our imaginative juices into this story, splattering ink into fine text and sentences. When we were hungry, we started to feed ourselves and sometimes each other for fun. We're nearing the end of the story, but we both agreed to stop for now.

"Whew, I'm exhausted," I yawned, causing Sumia to follow suit.

"Well, I guess we should go to bed?" I said.

I slowly crawled to my futon and absorbed myself in my blanket. I looked at Sumia and raised my tired eyebrow. She was still sitting down.

"Something wrong, Sumia?" I asked.

"Well... um," she had a blush on her face and was tapping her fingers together.

"Bye~"

She left my tent and left me alone to sleep. It usually takes me a bit of time to sleep. For some reason, it was harder for me to sleep. She's been on my mind lately. Sumia...

* * *

**Notes**

**Well, you can say that Alec's at A level support with Sumia.**

**So for the Ships at the moment, here they are:**

**AlecxSumia**

**SullyxKellam**

**StahlxLissa**

**VaikexMaribelle**

**VirionxCordelia**

**Also, thank you readers for having the time to read my story. Thanks to you guys, I hit over 3k views in only a few chapters. This is a new record for me, and your views give me the inspiration to write much more.**


	14. Cults and Dragonstones

**Chapter 13**

Cults and Dragonstones

Exhausted from the heat of the Plegian desert, I took off my purple jacket, leaving me with my beige tank top. I usually kept a bunch of items hidden their, like knives, tomes, and vulneraries. Without my coat, I feel exposed. I noticed that some people with body covering clothing such as Miriel still kept their usual outfits on. Maribelle opened her parasol, probably using it to prevent her skin from tanning. I wonder if there's anything that can block tanning. Sumia stood by her pegasus, using the flapping wings as a fan. Ricken made a clever move with his wind tome by using it to cool him down. Virion was now hitting on Cordelia, with the latter rejecting his trite flattery.

"Something wrong, Alec?" Chrom asked, still wearing his usual attire.

"Well, aside from the heat, I've been thinking to myself," I said, looking into the skies.

"Tell me, I'd like to know," Chrom said in a slightly happy tone.

Chrom and I are basically bros. He trusts me fully as if I've grown up with him in his entire childhood. He's a good friend to confide in when he's not absorbed in princely duties.

"Well, say there's a girl you have eyes for," I began.

"Yes, I'm listening," Chrom said.

"How do you know you love them and are not infatuated with them?"

Chrom seemed to hesitate with my question. His face showed deep contemplation.

"I really don't know at the moment, Alec," Chrom commented, "But I'm going to have to change the subject."

I nodded to his changing. If my friend can't handle the question right now, I'm not going to pry further. After all, we're in Plegia, basically enemy territory.

"Do you think that Gangrel has set up a trap for us? We've barely seen any sign of Plegian Guard activity."

Before I could think any further, Frederick the Wary entered. A curt and formal bow was his first action before bringing the news.

"Milord, our scouts have spotted activity close by," Frederick said, "Due to the sands, mages and fliers are suitable units to bring in battle."

"Well, there's action, I guess we should rally up the troops and discuss strategy."

* * *

**A few minutes later.**

Well, a force of 10 people is all I need. Chrom, Frederick, Lissa, Stahl, Virion, Cordelia, Miriel, Ricken, Sumia, and I are the chosen. Through the map knowledge from the scouts, I managed to prepare ourselves and think up of a strategy to destroy the opposition. As soon as we were about to fight, Sumia and I, floating in the air by the pegasus, noticed a young girl and a mercenary running away from one of the enemies. I looked at the Shepherds, prepared to give new orders.

"Guys, we should to rendezvous with the child and her guardian in the distance. Wipe out anyone who tries to attack us in our path."

Still wearing only my beige tank top, I grabbed my tome from a holster I bought in Ylisstol and commanded Sumia to go. Her adventurous smile already gave me her answer, showing it through the pegasus immediately zooming. I saw my troops follow suit, fanning out to clear out the rest of the opponents. Sumia charged into a cavalier, lunging the lance into the rider. Though immediately knocked back, it didn't finish him.

"Gotcha!"

The straps on my holster held some knives. I brandished one and lunged it into the wound and sliced upward, killing the cavalier. The horse ran around crazily before fleeing. Numbers of troops swarmed the little girl and mercenary. While the merc was powerful, he couldn't sustain any further damage.

"You guys, come northward!" I shouted.

While they weren't my troops, both of them agreed, finding solace in our warriors the only suitable choice for survival. When they managed to catch up, Sumia landed on the sands, allowing me a steady spot to aim my magic. A series of magical circles surrounded me as I channeled my magical energy into the tome. The dark mage came closer and was about to summon dark magic.

"Go!"

A magic circle appeared above my opponent, summoning a concentrated lightning bolt into the mage, instantly frying it. The mage still stood weak. I was about to cast another one until a blue ball of crystals smothered the mage before exploding into shards. The little girl beside the man disappeared, replacing her with a large golden dragon. What the hell?

"A dragon?"

"Alec, the little girl transformed into a dragon!" Sumia said.

"A manakete..." I've studied a bit on dragons on my free time. Manaketes are a tribe of human-dragon hybrids who can transform into dragons through a dragonstone.

"Gregor would like to thank you for keeping Gregor and little girl safe," the merc said with a refreshing smile.

"So Gregor, are you and that little girl by any chance related to our enemy?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Gregor is sellsword who was hired by creepy men to find little girl, Gregor thought they wanted to look for parent's daughter, but Gregor find out they want little girl for sacrifice."

"Oh, I see, so the opponents we face are those part of the Grima cult?"

"Correct, friend. I save little girl, who was defenseless and is trying to find safer place."

I crossed my arms before pointing at myself with my thumb; a heroic grin on my face.

"Well, just stay with us for now, maybe we might need your services after this," I reached out my hand to him, offering him a handshake, "I'm Alec, and she's Sumia."

"Good to be met, Alec," Gregor said with a swell smile.

The dragon transformed back into her human form. When I saw her from a distance, I only saw her cape and head, but what in Naga's name is she wearing? She's wearing some sort of really short shorts with knee-high boots and a small tank top made of scales that mostly cover her breasts. A lot of skin was showing. I feel both confused and attracted, but mostly confused. Why is a little girl wearing such revealing clothing?

"Hey there, cutie, I'm Nowi," she said with a wink.

"Er um, hey," I said nervously, looking away from her attire, "Just stay with Gregor for now, even the most powerful people need help."

"Who are you to give me orders, old man!"

"O-old man?! Look at you, you're probably like thousands of years old or something," I retorted, "Just follow with what I have to say unless you want to die."

"Ugh fine, dad!" she said with puffed cheeks.

We slowly but effectively mowed down through the forces. Thanks to the three villages, they gifted us with items useful for the war, especially the seals. The Second Seal is good to change into a different class; something Donnel needs. He's been growing strong lately through the Risen that have spawned around Ylisse. But this Master's Seal is good for Chrom, who has exceedingly grown powerful ever since. Most of us have already surrounded the boss of the group. He carried a strange dark tome.

"Chrom, before we fight the commander and his remaining troops, use this."

I tossed him the Master Seal and he grabbed it.

"This is a Master Seal, but why?"

"A great leader has to never rest, never surrender, and most of all, never stop improving."

With a smile, the blue blood channeled the power of the seal into him. The seal started to whir, emitting a powerful red light as it started to hover. Chrom let it levitate on his hand and when he raised his hand high, the seal rose into the air. A brilliant white lightning took over Chrom, causing Sumia and I to shield our eyes.

When we both opened our eyes, Chrom's attire had changed. From his one sleeved costume, he now dons a fully sleeved outfit with silver armor covering his chest, shins, and forearms. His silver spaulder on his left shoulder is retained as well as his white and blue cape.

"How do you feel now, Chrom?" I asked.

"I feel my previous potent power awaken, now belying greater potent power," Chrom said.

He unsheathed Falchion and with Frederick, made quick work of the front line defenders of the commander. The rest continued to clear out anyone in the way. Cordelia and Virion challenged the leader, by my command, but with a little warning.

"Don't be caught flat-footed, the Nosferatu tome can drain your health."

"I will be careful," Cordelia proclaimed.

"You're much more safer with me," Virion said with a grin.

If they were endangered, then I'll send someone to help. Cordelia took the front-lines, spearing the dark mage with her steel lance. The opponent wasn't as mobile as Validar, but he proved to be sturdy and quick on his feet. Virion kept on peppering arrows at the dark mage, but he proved his sturdiness and agility by both enduring and dodging the arrows. He finally used his spell on Cordelia. A magical circle hovered above her and emitted a black light, which managed to hit Cordelia dead-on, draining some of the knight's life force.

"Hnng!" Cordelia winced.

The dark mage cackled from his recovered state and attempted to cast it on her again. Virion attempted to halt the channel, only with the mage cleverly dodging the arrow. Cordelia was clearly more exhausted, having her essence being drained from the mage. I wonder if Virion and Cordelia aren't enough to fight him. I was considering going, but then I saw it.

The same magic halo hovered over Cordelia. Virion seemed to have seen what I saw. He noticed it and through vehement bravery, he pushed Cordelia out of the "blast zone" making him the victim of the spell. The red haired knight commanded her pegasus to skid on the sands and launch back into the air. She suddenly felt a surge of health, thanks to Lissa's Physic staff. She threw a powerful lunge that fully pierced the tough skin of the dark mage.

I noticed that he isn't dead yet. With a grisly smile, he attempted to cast Nosferatu again, this time, his eyes on me. I looked above me and saw the black light about to emit.

"Sumia, dodge the spell!"

"Okay!"

Her pegasus immediately flapped her wings to spring herself backward, fully avoiding the light.

"Grr!"

Cordelia sprung out the lance from the mage and was about to finish him off, but an arrow to his head ended his life.

"Miss me?" Virion said confidently.

I clapped from Virion's usual display of marksmanship. The heat of battle had made me forget about the desert heat. As soon as I cooled down from my "battle trance", I felt the heat of the Plegian sun again, increasing the amount of sweat by my brow. I started to pant and want water, but the wing beats of Tana refreshed my body. Sumia giggled from my relieved state and beckoned me to come with her under the shade of her pegasus.

"Thanks, Sumia," I said with a genuine smile.

"I gotta make myself useful somehow," she replied.

* * *

**Desert Campsite. Sundown.**

Gregor was immediately hired after a small conversation about watching over Nowi. Nowi, the eternally youthful manakete was relieved that she gets to join us and not return to an auction block that enslaved her for entertainment purposes. I just really hope her attire didn't entertain other... entertainment purposes.

Nonetheless, both are safe as Shepherds. We got them their own personal tents to rest in, much to the two's relief.

Where was I? I'm at the border of the camp site, after a little outing to one of the local villages in the desert, buying some weapons to replace the old ones about to break. Luckily for me, Frederick escorted me, and he finished the job by bringing the weapons to the storage right when we reach the campsite.

I've been thinking about Sumia for a while, in fact, she's been on my mind for almost all the time. When I bring up tactics, I think of her positioning first. When I'm scanning the battlefield, I think of a good position to keep Sumia safe from death. I felt like I should have bought something for her.

I grabbed my pouch of gold and counted the gold coins I had. Being the tactician, I was paid a good amount. Why was I looking through my coins? Am I going to spend it on something? I suddenly felt something bumping into me. The tall man known as Kellam was the person I bumped into. He's not wearing his armor, revealing his bulky physique. He wore a brown tunic that accentuates his musculature with black pantaloons and dark green boots.

"Oh, Kellam, my apologies," I said.

"Oh, it's alright, you just didn't see me," he grinned with closed eyes.

While his eyes were mostly closed, he looked around, scanning the area.

"Hey Alec, you know, you're one of my only friends that actually notice me," he said.

"Yeah, anyone else?" I asked curiously.

"Well, Donnel and Stahl are my closest ones, but that's not the point," Kellam replied.

He showed me his left hand, revealing an intricate golden ring. The radiance of the ring and Kellam's tenacity paying off enticed me, shown through a wide smile.

"Is that an engagement ring? Who's the lucky bride?" I smirked.

"The Woman to end all Men: Sully."

With a calm and empty face, I told him to wait a moment as I scurried behind a tree. I opened my note book and put a check mark beside the heads of Sully and Kellam. With a silent fist pump, I quietly shouted "Yes!" and did a little dance. I quickly hurried back to Kellam and shook his hand with a congratulating smile.

"Congratulations, Kellam. I never knew you'd have it in you."

"Well, you putting me up with Sully in the past few battles made me realize how much I cared for her," Kellam started, "This concern about Sully made me realize how much I'm willing to protect her and help her when she truly needed it."

He started to sniffle a bit.

"And also realize how much I... I love her," Kellam was about to be on the verge of tears, but I pat his shoulder.

"So this is love, huh?" I said with a soft voice.

"Yes, to endure the highs and lows together, to solve problems with your love and not giving up," Kellam said, "I may not be a super romantic man, but I think that's what our love is."

I backed away for a bit and extended my fist to him. He knew what this meant and he bumped my fist with his own.

"You gave me inspiration, Kellam, I know you'll be happy, overlooked or not," I said.

"If you need me, I'll always be somewhere."

Since it was late, I went to my tent. When I lay down on my bed, my eyes resisted the need to sleep. I held the bag of gold in above me, wondering why I always eyed it so frequently. You know, I wonder if the jewelry store is open. Probably not. What am I doing? What should I do? Should I wait some other time, or should I get her the ring now?

_"... that's what our love is."_

The words of Kellam rung through my ears. I started to think I'm forcing my love for Sumia by rushing this marriage. Oh Gods, I think I just realized it now. I think... no. I'm in love... wait, that's not it. Is this love real? Do I really love Sumia?

* * *

**A/N**

**I've read some FE fics before starting this. Sometimes, they don't mention the seal, and prefer making an iteration where someone proclaims them worthy to wear certain garbs, or they just simply change clothes. Well, considering the FE universe is a universe where freaking Magic exists, why shouldn't I exclude Seals? Heck, Noire and Laurent even talk about the seals after they change class.**

**Speaking of other FE fics, my chapter title pays homage to one of my favorite FE:A fics, Love and Dragonstones. You should read it sometime, it's pretty good.**

**So, do you really think our hero is crazy enough to buy a ring late in the night? Probably not, considering jewelry stores at this timezone close at night.**

**Edit**

**I won't be updating on Monday, because of my Grad, so Tuesday might be good.**

**You know, since Alec is different from the normal Male avatars, I decided to give him his own quotes and little bios if he were in the game.**

**Touch screen Alec's name -****A mysterious traveler with alien origins. Gifted in tactics, but can be scatterbrained.**

**Roster Info**

**A young man with no recollections of his past. His mysterious devices and alien clothing are a reminder to his past, yet its origins still remain unclear. Due to his talents in tactics, Chrom has enlisted him as the tactician of the Shepherds. While easy-going and kind, he's emotionally capricious. **

**Dual Support**

**"You're alright."  
"Here to help."  
"Don't get too cocky."  
"No pressure."  
"They're screwed."  
"Two against one, baby."  
"The enemy is in my sights."  
"Don't be scared."  
"Need help?"  
"You'll survive."  
"Focus on the enemy."  
"Friendship is Power."**

**Dual Strike**

**"I want a turn!"  
"Wahoo!"  
"Excuse me, pal."  
"Look at me, fool!"  
"Double team!"  
"Fall down, already!"  
"You'll not enjoy this."  
"You face two."**

**Dual Guard**

**"Screw off, casual."  
"Because I care."  
"Don't die, please?"**

**Critical**

**"Cry more, casual!"  
"Do I scare you?"  
"This is the part where you scream!"  
"This game is over!"**

**Defeated Enemy**

**"Couldn't have been this way."  
"I must not lose."  
"Survival is scarce in war."  
"Anyone feel suicidal?"  
"Still the best, heheh."**

**Partner defeats enemy**

**"Great work."  
"Thank you for your help."  
"We're quite compatible, no?"  
"That entrance was cool."  
"Flawless."  
**

**Defeated.**

**"I... don't... want to die..."**

**Death quote**

**"I'm... so sorry, everyone... I was such a goof..."**


	15. Exalt's Evanesce

**Chapter 14**

Exalt's Evanesce

**A/N: Sorry, I'm late, I moved houses, so I won't be typing as frequently, because my internet provider will work next week. I might not make Friday's due, unless I finish Chapter 15 before Friday. Anyway, enough dillydallying, read this chapter dammit!**

The Plegian Castle courtyard is where Emmeryn will be publicly executed. Gangrel came prepared with a force of wyvern riders and mages, mobile forces suitable for desert combat. The Shepherds managed to slowly mow through the competition. When we reached the southern-most part, I was suddenly saved by a powerful axe chop on an invading wyvern rider.

"Are you fine, sir?" the woman said. Wait, that could be a man. He seems to be part of the clergy; a priest. He/she may have feminine features, but his face was masculine, if not too feminine.

"Are you a War Monk?"

His eyes widened from my question as if it was a first. With a smile, he nodded calmly.

"You're probably the only one who was able to distinguish me as a man, sir," he said.

"Well, after my reading of the St. Elimine history book, I was curious about the Ylissian clergy," I said, "Too bad you guys don't practice Light Magic."

There was a sketch of St. Elimine in her bio. By the gods, she's so beautiful, that I'd probably share a euphoric dance with her, if someone knows what I mean.

"I need no magic, for I only need the heavens above, and the ground beneath my feet."

His eyes shrunk, sensing danger. I raised my brow and was about to look behind me, unsheathing my sword.

"Watch out!"

The androgynous man grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down.

*shwing!*

The sound of steel culling flesh was heard from behind me. I looked behind and saw Chrom slaying a soldier. He swung off the blood on Falchion and sheathed it. This area is safe for now.

"You're safe, Alec," Chrom said.

He walked toward the monk and eyed him.

"It's good to see a War Cleric assisting us in saving Emmeryn," Chrom smiled.

"..."

"I'm a man."

"He's a man," I said in unison with Libra's confirmation.

"Oh, um..." Chrom was nervous.

"But... err, well, we appreciate your assistance, War Monk," Chrom said.

"You may call me Libra, milord," he said.

"I'm Alec, just in case you're curious," I replied to Libra.

"Ah, Alec, I've heard of your achievements in the battlefield from the citizens," Libra said with a smile, "You're a strong tactician."

"Well, I'm not the greatest tactician..." I laughed nervously.

"You're quite the humble one too," he closed his eyes and grinned cutely, but he immediately shifted into a serious look, "Well, enough talk, we must take action, Alec."

He walked westward and halted after a few steps.

"I'm yours to command, Alec."

We continued pushing forward, killing the last few resistances on the southern wall. One of the last people standing was a female dark mage, clad scantily like most dark mages. Chrom seemed to see something through her eyes, causing him to move in close and talk with her.

"Hey, you seem reluctant to fight, Plegian," Chrom said.

"Hmph, why do I really have to fight in a cause I don't believe in," she spat coldly.

"So, why do you continue to fight?" Chrom retorted.

"Well, you see, I respect the king and all, but I'm a bit rebellious," she said as she eyed me lustily. I feel a cold chill through my blood from seeing her.

"So, if you're so reluctant to fight, why don't you rebel against the king and join us?"

"Well alright then," she said in a gloomy yet sweet voice as she gawked at me.

"Why do you always look at me like that, harlot?" I asked.

"Oh, you can call me anything you'd like, Alec," she immediately got close in a flash, surprising me. I can feel a creepy dark aura around her.

"What's your name?"

"Tharja~, I can use Dark tomes unlike normal mages,"

"...Right, we shouldn't waste time, Tharja, we must save Emmeryn,"

"If you say so~"

"Libra, heal some of the damaged troops," I commanded the monk. With a smile, he grabbed his physic staff and emitted a thin beam into the sky.

I saw some of my friends march through the desert sands, holding their weapons high and healthy. I hopped on Sumia's pegasus again, grabbing my Arcthunder tome pilfered from Risen skirmishes. Sumia hovered over most of the soldiers, giving me a great view of the battlefield. I looked to my left and saw Maribelle marching ahead from Vaike. Though Vaike was easily unhappy with him being left behind a few paces, I was using Maribelle's positioning in preparation for an awesome attack.

Chrom and Frederick were the first people to attack the armored general. Frederick's silver lance broke in one of the previous fights, so he had to use a cheap iron lance. While Chrom's rapier was effective against armor, the general proved his great vitality and defense by not even wincing at the blade piercing through his armor. Having a spear, he naturally had an advantage over Chrom's sword. Frederick's iron lance barely dented the armor. Despite his bulkiness, he was mostly focusing his lunges and swings on Chrom. The general spun his lance and threw the lance at Chrom with great force. Frederick the Wary soon intervened, taking the blow for Chrom, but not without sustaining a stab from the lance.

"Frederick!" Chrom shouted.

"Maribelle, now!"

She looked at Vaike, who was at a medium distance away from her. With a nod, she shone her Rescue staff and moved toward the general. The armored man was too focused on the fight against Lord and Servant to see the troubadour in time. A magic circle appeared above the general, manifesting the Vaike above it. Vaike, equipped with a hammer, threw a dropping smash with his hammer upon the helmet of the knight, severely crushing through the helmet. The man fell to his knees, defeated.

"Damn... if only I lived... I'd build poor Nestor's... house," the general's last words made me question about killing my enemies.

Wait, what did he say? Oh, I already feel ashamed to fight the enemy. I saw the armored man, still breathing heavily.

"Sumia, fly me to him, and don't attack."

"Gotcha," she winked and commanded to Tana to land by him.

Sumia flew in to the knight's dying body and I hopped off of the pegasus. I crouched down beside the knight, who was heavily breathing. I think I heard some weeping too underneath that heavy helmet. Not just because he's dying, but because he seems to hold someone of value back home, mainly the mentioned Nestor. Vaike's head smash must have broke the neck part of his spine, giving him a hard time to breath. I feel sorry for him. Perhaps Gangrel might be to blame for sending Plegians to fight. Even some might have been charitable until Gangrel possibly threatened them to fight.

"I'm so sorry it had to end like this," I said sadly, "May I ask for your name? I want to remember a person who died in such an unnecessary war. So I can use your name to justify my fury against the Mad King."

"I'm... *wheeze* Campari. Please, after this war is over *cough* find Nestor and give him to my friend... Henry," he could barely talk because of his broken throat, "Ask one of the soldiers... where my... house is... he *cough* will be inside."

Maybe Plegians aren't all bad. I usually thought of Plegians as bandits with only hedonistic wants. I guess I've been to caught up in fighting for my army that I view my enemies as lesser human beings. He's going through incredible pain, so I had to end it and let him free.

I grabbed my sword and flipped him over to his back. I took off his helmet, revealing his seasoned and aged face. Bloodied and suffering, he was trying hard to keep his breath. He looked at me. I had a sad face, showing pity and compassion for his state. When he looked at my sword, he mustered up all his strength to smile and nodded slowly. I clenched my eyes, feeling the need to shed a tear as I was about to mercy kill him. I lunged the sword into his neck, immediately ending his life. He died quickly, his body going limp as his last breath was drawn.

"Rest in peace, Campari," I said in a somber voice .

I got up and looked at Chrom with my swollen eyes. I was crying to kill someone that had a family back home.

"Now that the wyvern riders are killed, it's time to give out the signal," I said.

I grabbed a Fire tome I borrowed from Miriel and shot a fireball into the sky. Phila and her pegasus knight squadron stationed the courtyard by the giant Grima skull; the place where Emmeryn would be executed.

"Your Grace, don't worry, we're here to save you."

As Phila lead the flight to Emmeryn, her pegasus suddenly dropped by an arrow. Where the hell did that arrow come from? I looked to the ground and saw a dozen of Risen archers aiming at the whole pegasus squadron. The arrows were already too much for the pegasus knights to handle, causing all of them to fall. We were exhausted from the battle. If I were to try and slay them all with Chrom and the others, we would strain our muscles. The pegasus and the knights fell down as if fish were raining from the sky. The sight of Ylissean blood made the Shepherds stare in fear. I dropped down to my knees and punched the ground.

"... I failed..."

"DAMN YOU GANGREL!" Chrom cried.

The mad cackle was heard from his castle. Gangrel smiled evilly as he pointed to Chrom with his sword.

"So, what will it be, dog prince? The Fire Emblem, or your precious sister?"

"This is such a huge dilemma, Chrom..." I said to him, "Your sister, or possibly the entire world."

"Emm..."

Chrom grabbed his Falchion, but the sound of the bow strings being stretched interrupted the prince. The archers were all aimed at Emmeryn.

"Hahaha! If one limb were to twitch, then you can kiss your sister goodbye," Gangrel cackled.

"I'll end you, cretin!" Chrom was clearly enraged.

"Go ahead and kill me, but you'll just end up like your father, and you'll be responsible for your dumb Exalt's death. Who else wants to kill the Exalt huh? Any of you goat herders want too?"

No one replied.

"What a bunch of pathetic creatures."

"You're the only pathetic creature here, Gangrel," I spat back.

"Ooh, we have someone with an attitude~"

"Well we have someone who's a complete pussy, hiding behind a bunch of archers and threatening us with the Exalt's life," I spat back.

"Heheheh! If you were smarter, you could have stayed in Ylisse and defended it," Gangrel spat back, "So much for 'Master Tactician'."

"You bastard! It still doesn't change the fact you're just a coward. And not only that. You lack even sentience and ability to listen to reason. You're not just insane or mad, you're **FUCKING **retarded!"

I think I saw Gangrel cringe a bit. He spat back, angrier than ever.

"Nag nag nag nag! If you're not going to submit my birthday present, then I'll have to get my backup present: Emmeryn's head."

All the archers aimed at Emmeryn. I couldn't see Emmeryn's face clearly, but I'm sure Emmeryn is afraid to die.

"Wait!" Emmeryn shouted.

"What do you want, harlot!"

"Is there any other way for you to listen to reason?"

"Let's see. How about no!" Gangrel said.

"..." Emmeryn was silent, preparing to speak.

"Plegians, I ask you hear me out!"

What's Emm doing now? Is she willing to be executed? What can I do to save her? There's no way we can get out of here without an important treasure.

"War will win nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourself from this cycle of hatred! This cycle of pain and hatred!"

"Emm..."

"You don't have to do what I do to free yourself from this cycle, but..." she closed her eyes and started crying, "Please, try whatever you can

She took a few steps forward, closer to the ledge. My eyes widened from her attempted suicide.

"Emmeryn!" I shouted.

Her body dropped dead into the pavement of the courtyard. The blood the dead exalt splattered across my coat, causing me to shiver in dread.

"NOOOOO!" Lissa screamed with tears on her eyes.

"Hahahaha, what grand delusions your sister suffers! And might I add, a graceful fall."

With a sigh of relief, Gangrel smugly smirked.

"Oh, how will we remember her glorious sacrifice, oh, how about I have fun with that little corpse!" he licked his lips maliciously.

"You bastard! I'll kill you! I'll FUCKING kill you!" the chains of sanity have broken. I unsheathed my sword and brutally cut through one of the archers.

"Oh, is someone mad? Cry more for me! I need to fill my oasis with your tears!"

While I found myself surrounded by the archers, Chrom cut down one of them and seemed to share the same deranged emotion I had. Despite his berserk state, he knew who his enemy was, and the enemy were the victims of his deranged slaughter.

"You're going to die here now, Gangrel!" Chrom shouted.

A speeding arrow was about to pierce Chrom, but I managed to slice it in half. I tossed my iron sword into the Risen archer's head, killing it instantly. Being unarmed was no problem. I felt an arrow pierce my back. It stung so hard, but I still stood up. I ran up to the archer who shot that arrow and threw a brutal punch to his face. I started to tear off that ugly zombie face with my own hands until it finally submitted to agony. I saw another beside him and slammed him down to the ground. I grabbed both legs and spun him around before tossing him to a small group of archers, attempting to get up after sustaining Chrom's attack. The last archer was about to be struck down by Chrom, only to be hit by a silver arrow. I looked behind me. Basilio was the one who killed him, using his silver bow. Flavia was beside him, holding her silver sword ready.

"Basilio?"

He made a beckoning gesture to me with a serious face.

"Don't be so reckless, Alec, we have to run! We've secured an escape route for you guys!"

"Not until I have Gangrel's head! He let so much good men and women die!" I spat back.

Flavia closed in quickly and punched me in the gut, then threw a dropping kick that sent me downward.

"We can't face him in his own city," Flavia argued, "I thought you would consider the situation of the battlefield."

Her blows really hurt. I try to stand up, but it stung every time I moved my hips. I looked to where Chrom was. Basilio carried an incapacitated Chrom and nodded to Flavia.

"I... I'm so sorry... Emmeryn..."

"Get up, Alec, the Shepherds still need their tactician."

Flavia helped me up. Though I was a bit taller, she was strong enough to carry me on her shoulders. I realized that she was trying to keep us safe. Ever since she helped us in this war, she was more or less like the big sister to Chrom and I. Even if siblings have some violent disputes, they ultimately care for each other.

"...Thank you, Flavia," I said weakly.

She looked at me with a grin that emanated an aura of a big sister.

"You're an ally, Alec," she said in a soft big sister voice, "Of course Basilio and I care for you."

I looked behind me and saw the Plegian castle start to shrink as we ran away. Gangrel's cackle started to lose volume due to the distance between us expanding. Through the events I've seen, I conclude that both Ylisse and Plegia need saving.

* * *

**Midmire**

Basilio lead the Shepherds to a bone yard. Heavy rain scattered through the battle field, adding to the melancholic aura of the situation. Clearly, all of us were tired from running all the way from Plegia Castle. After a few minutes of running, I've regained my ability to stand up properly and ran with the others. Chrom and I have considerably calmed down, but we were still distraught from the sight we've seen hours ago. We stayed a while, catching our breath from the escape.

"The carriages should be here," Basilio said as he huffed.

"..." Chrom was silent, probably retaining the trauma of seeing his sister die.

"Chrom, are you okay?" I asked, concerned for his state.

"N-no,"

"I can understand how your sister's suicide has impacted you," I said in a somber voice.

"..."

"Damn, we have company!" Basilio said as he brandished his axe.

Plegian bandits and soldiers barred our path. Why do they still fight? I still wonder.

"Plegians..." I said silently.

"Why are you still fighting?! You'll only bring sorrow and pain to not only others, but yourselves and your family!"

I looked at their faces. Some tried to suppress their sorrow with an angry face. Some people were looking down in shame, as if they were forced to fight. I think I saw one of the bulky bandits cry, but it was hard to tell from the rain.

"...Why must we fight right now?"

"..." was their response.

I brandished my sword and looked at the Shepherds. All of them were armed, ready for orders. These Plegians don't seem to want to fight anymore. Heck, war makes me feel like I'm a monster. I don't want to kill anymore. Plegian soldiers serve the king, and maybe Gangrel forced them to fight. What kind of monstrous threat did he put on these soldiers? Either way, I just don't feel the need to kill them in cold blood.

War is cruel. People fight against other people, and both people may have a family they're protecting. This is what makes compassion for your enemies a weakness. While the man holds the blade and hesitates, contemplating on who's cheering for the person he's about to kill. War really is cruel, and the strength gained from surviving through battles may seem like a boon, but it sometimes make people question if killing the person was worth it. To kill a father, a brother, or even the latter if they were your own. I really want these people to come back home to their moms, wives, brothers, or sisters.

The rain continues to fall. Today, it won't wash away sorrows or sins. Just blood and tears.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**So, I'll just leave it off here. As much as I don't like Henry (well I like him the least), his supports with Ricken reveal that some of the Plegian generals aren't so vicious and evil as you see them. A big example is probably Mustafa, but Campari is also an example.**

**The Renewal chapter, like the others, has made me feel sad. Usually, I'm pumped up to kill a bunch of Risen or repel Valmese with my Sheps, but fighting Mustafa and his men with Don't Speak Her Name playing, made me realize that Plegians themselves aren't always bad guys. I could have wrote something to kinda spare Vasto, but I think he was too much into the moment. I toned down Campari's character a bit to show more of Alec's compassionate side, which will later be a crucial quality in meeting a certain person.**

**In all honesty, I never put up Libra with anyone, and I may or may not put him up with anyone. I like Libra personality-wise. He's kind, courteous, and always willing to help, but I have a little tradition of not focusing on pre-promoted units, so don't expect Frederick to be with someone. I might make Libra more of the "****Councillor" of the group.**

**Sorry if I offend anyone with this rant, but I just feel like I want to vent it out.**

**Inb4 Second Seal bitch. I'm aware of its powers, but I don't find any time to invest in Frederick or the others once my chihuahuas have turned into r****ottweilers (*cough* Chrom, Alec etc.). This DOESN'T count Henry, aka my least favorite character. I can go on through the chapters saying he's my least favorite, but his debut will show why I don't like him as much. So whoever favorite'd or followed me and expects Henry love, feel free to unfollow or un-favorite. Like the story for how I write it, not how I treat Henry, I mean if you expected love for him, read another fiction goddammit. But even as the least favorite, I have some plans for him. Some of the fan fiction writers express dislike of Virion, Vaike, Ricken, or other people, so I may as well just express dislike of Henry, right? Honestly, I think I'm the only who deems Henry as my least favorite character. The only thing I'll say is that Henry is overrated.**


	16. Quagmire of Emotion

**Chapter 15**

Quagmire of Emotion

"Halt, Shepherds, I am General Mustafa," the general said in a soft and slightly woeful tone, "Lay down your weapons, and we won't hurt you."

Chrom's little emo phase suddenly shifted into an outburst as he glared at the general.

"What do you mean?!" Chrom cried.

"You Plegians expect us to trust you after all you've done?" Frederick joined in his glaring.

"Shepherds, your rage is justified, but I too have heard Emmeryn's last words," he said with a sad look, "Surrender, and we'll protect you however we can."

"Damn you, Plegian! Don't speak her name!" Chrom shouted, "Why would we just trust you right here, right now, especially with what your mad king has done."

"Very well, Prince Chrom, it has to be this way," Mustafa surrendered to the far side of the battlefield, replacing his position with multiple soldiers.

I looked at Chrom, thirsty for Plegian blood. I looked at Frederick, who also shared the same fervor as the prince. I looked at everyone. Everyone showed angered looks. Why are they putting the blame of the Mad King's actions on them? I just... I don't feel like fighting.

"Chrom..."

"What?!" Chrom outbursted at me.

"I... can't fight them like this..." I dug my sword into the mud and sighed.

"They're our enemy, Alec," Chrom angrily argued, "They're the ones that ransacked and pillaged Ylisstol."

"Chrom, listen to yourself," I shouted.

"Why don't you listen to yourself?!" Chrom dug his Falchion into the earth and threw a punch at my face.

"Ow!"

I fell to the mud and Chrom mounted on me, pulling me up by collar.

"You're being a coward, Alec," Chrom said, "Look at what Plegians have done. You've seen it in Ylisse too! We have every right to be angry at them!"

He threw another fist, making my mouth ooze out sanguine fluids. Chrom was about to throw another punch, but I grabbed his fist with my left hand and threw a powerful headbutt at him. Frederick pointed his lance at me and shot daggers into my eyes. I shot my own daggers to his eyes with my own glare.

"What are you insisting, Alec?! Do you really think it can just end happily ever after? Are you implying we surrender" Frederick supported Chrom.

"No... I know this battle is inevitable, but look at these men,"

I presented to them the men who stood in defensive fighting positions. Even the most burliest and savage barbarian was frowning. Some shook their arms in fear.

"This fight may have been inevitable, but it seems Gangrel just forced them to their deaths," I said.

"So what?!" Chrom spat.

"Even if they're our opposing force, Plegians are still humans, and even some of them are forced to fight just because the king said so or threatened them," I said, "Doesn't this remind you of what your father did?"

Chrom was taken aback from what I said. His usual angry expression now changed to a fearful realization look. After he recovered from that realization, he took a deep breath and looked at the enemies.

"Chrom, we're going to fight them," I said, "I just can't bring myself to kill them."

I looked at the Shepherds who were ready to fight.

"Shepherds, it's your choice whether to kill them or not. To be or not to be, that's the question. To be a killer, to destroy the hearts of the families of the soldiers, maybe to honor their sacrifice to their country. To spare them... I'm not so sure, really, but either way, we have to win this and demolish the tyranny of Gangrel."

With the soldiers increased morale and strengthened sanity, I hopped on Sumia's pegasus and she flew toward the wyvern riders.

"Aim for the wings, Sumia," I grabbed a lance holstered by the saddle of her pegasus and passed it to her.

"Is this the Killer Lance Gaius stole back where Donnel was?" Sumia said as she examined it.

"Yes, now weaken that wyvern rider's wing."

She twirled it and threw a precise slash on the wyvern's wing, damaging it and causing the rider to fall. I looked to my left frantically and managed to deflect a hand axe with my own iron sword.

I crouched on top of the saddle and hopped off. Thanks to the lessons I learned from Ricken with wind spells, I learned how to propel myself with a burst of wind at my feet, as if I jumped a second time, doing a front flip.

I kept the three basic elemental tomes in my leather holster, now modified to house three tomes. Tana holds my more advanced tomes, and Sumia, thanks to her javelin tossing training, is able to pass me my tomes from a considerable distance.

I grabbed a hold of my fire tome while inverted and at the right time, my leg was infused with flames.

"Hell Hammer!"

I threw a hammering kick on the wyvern's back, forcing it to drop down from my attack. And now, my leg hurts from kicking a wyvern. Should have thought twice about this.

"Ow, my freaking leg!"

I fell down toward the ground, but Sumia saved me... again. I lay on her saddle and slowly yet painfully positioned myself properly.

"Alec, that was such an idiotic move!" Sumia said angrily.

"Sorry, maybe I should have blasted him with my Wind tome?"

"You know, you're starting to become a bigger idiot, Alec," Sumia said.

"I always was an idiot, wasn't I?"

She groaned and flew toward the fort on top of that large bone.

"We need to rest a bit," Sumia said as she helped me get down, "Tana received an injury from a wyvern, and you have a sprained leg."

I sat down by a wall and checked if I had any vulneraries. My jacket was empty, aside from a few knives. Sumia passed me some bagged object. I raised my eyebrow, wondering what's inside.

"What's this?"

"It's a packed dinner. We barely ate after we ran away from the castle," Sumia said.

"Are you giving it to me, or are we sharing it?"

I grabbed it and opened it, revealing a wooden box. I opened it and discovered cooked beef with some vegetables and what looked like fried potatoes.

"Wait, what are these brownish sticks?" I asked.

"Well, Frederick said he got the name from you. 'Fries' or something like that," she said, "I was curious about these fries and wondered if I cooked them right."

I grabbed one 'fry' and chewed on it. The fry was crispy and delicious. I grabbed two more and chewed fervently. I looked at Sumia and smiled warmly.

"I think these are the perfect fries, Sumia," I said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you~" she smiled with a blush on her face.

I beckoned her to sit beside me, to which she gladly complied. I offered her some of her cooked meal and she happily partook in her work. As time past, the number of fries diminished. As it was running low, I decided to do something fun yet cute. I grabbed a fry and looked at Sumia.

"Hey, Sumia, can you open your mouth?" I said.

"Um... okay."

She opened her mouth with an "Aaah" sound. I put a fry to her mouth and she chewed on it. I chuckled to her receiving the fry, causing her to blush. She grabbed one fry and told me to open my mouth. I opened my mouth and she put the fry in my mouth. I chewed on the fry gladly, causing the cute Sumia to giggle.

We finished our food in due time and just sat down by the wall. The rain kept on pouring on this bone yard, but we were under the cover of the fortress. I looked at the pegasus knight. She was shivering from the cold weather. Seeing her suffer made me feel like my heart melted slowly. If I weren't going to do anything, I would lose my breathing due to my melted heart. I took off my coat and blanketed her in my coat. I looked at her face, showing surprise at first, then... awe.

"Alec?"

I was holding Sumia close to keep her warm, so the distance between our faces were nothing but near. I took one hand and stroked the side of her head. Sumia put her hand on my chest, causing my heart to race from her touch. I used my other hand to hold the hand on my heart, holding it firmly yet tenderly.

"Sumia..."

"Alec..."

I kept staring into her eyes. I've suddenly gained a stronger and more focused perception on Sumia's details. Her face was beautiful, showing both innocence and strength. Her hair is intricately styled, her sideburns formed into beautiful spirals and the rest of hair in elegant puffiness. Her face reddened madly from my closeness, and I felt my face feel the same way.

"Please...?" she whimpered softly.

I was nervous, yet at the same time, willing. Why willing? It's simple: because I love her, and I think her wanting this and the time spent together could mean that she too loves me back. She slowly closed her eyes, as I did too. We slowly moved our faces forward, mouths open and ready to kiss.

*schwick!*

A hand axe chopped by the wall beside me. I saw a wyvern rider holding his axe high. We both ran to Tana, but poor Sumia tripped at the wrong time.

"Sumia!"

The sound of a twirling axe was heard in the distance. It was aimed toward Sumia. As it got close, I hopped in front of Sumia's downed body and used my body to guard her.

*gash!*

"Alec!" she shrieked.

The axe stuck on my left shoulder, bringing grievous pain to my left arm. I grunted in pain and grabbed the Levin Sword I found in the barracks one day. I raised the sword up high, gathering a surge of the storm's lightning. I reeled in my sword to my left and swung outward as if I did a quickdraw similar to what Lon'qu practiced.

I tried to assimilate it and Lon'qu, who heard my grunts of effort, deemed my assimilation as rugged and tarnished.

A crescent wave of lightning shot toward the wyvern, and when it hit the latter, lightning exploded around the wyvern, frying it and causing it and the rider to fall.

"Alec... I... think I," Sumia nervously stood up and quickly ran toward Tana and flew away.

"Sumia, wait!"

"Hello, my friend," that french accent!

"Virion!" I said as I saw him in the sky with Cordelia.

Cordelia commanded the pegasus to land in the fort. The blue haired archer walked up to me and handed me a blue potion. It's an elixir. This can heal all of my wounds.

"Thanks to your tactics, I still have the full dosages for this elixir," the archest archer smiled as he put it on my hands.

Cordelia pulled off my axe lodged in my shoulder, causing me to scream in pain. I drank the elixir and suddenly, my wounds closed in a few seconds. I gave the potion back to Virion.

"So, how do I get out? My people still need me," I said.

"The forces are dwindling down," Cordelia said, "Chrom and the others left all of them unable to battle."

"Well, that's good," I said, "Tell them to spare Mustafa if any of them were to engage in combat."

"Okay, then," Cordelia said, "I'll help you up."

Cordelia put me on her pegasus and flew me to the good old earth. I looked around me, searching for Sumia.

"Hey Cordelia, where's Sumia?" I asked.

"Sumia fled to the north, fighting the few forces left."

"Is she with anyone?" I asked in a worried tone.

"No, everyone's gathering to the northwest area," Cordelia replied.

I ran to the north to save Sumia. I kept on running and running, ignoring Cordelia's request for my patience. I kept running and running until I saw a group of three barbarians. I sighed, not wanting to fight them as much as they want to.

"I'm sorry we had to be enemies..." I said as I readied my Levin Sword.

All of them charged at me simultaneously. I grabbed my wind tome and used the wind powers to jump high into the air. I landed behind them and turned to them with my sword ready. An overhead swing was the first move, so I parried it and outstretched my palm to him with chain lightning. I electrocuted him until he couldn't fight anymore albeit alive. I heard a growl behind me, so I immediately rolled past the bandit in front of me, dodging the swing. I spun my sword into reverse grip and turned my upper body to the right. I swung inward, cutting the lower back of the barbarian with my Levin sword. More suddenly came in, and they all surrounded me.

"Shit," I said with gritted teeth.

I used my wind jump again to save myself. I thought I got away, but a wyvern rider had to be there. He held a silver axe and he used the hook of the ax to hold me as if I was a coat on a coat hanger. I grabbed my tome in my holster and attempted to blast him with wind magic, yet the wyvern replied with biting my tome out of my hand. With a snicker from the rider, he held his weapon with both weapons and tossed me up high. I saw him preparing his ax in an upward slicing technique. What I've been through took quite a toll on my stamina, and trying to flip myself into a countering position would ache my limbs. Suddenly, flapping feathers were heard. Behind the rider was Sumia, charging at the rider and slashing through him with her killer lance. The rider fell down to the ground, but it wouldn't have happened if the wyvern descended to the ground to save his master. The absorbed impact weakened the wyvern greatly, making it unable to move fluidly for a moment.

"Sumia?!" I shouted as I dropped down.

"Alec, catch!" she tossed me another wind tome from Tana's saddle.

"Thank you."

The rings of runic texts surrounded me as if I'm a planet with multiple moons. A burst of wind propelled me a bit higher, effectively slowing down my fall. Sumia managed to come in on time, which resulted in my successful landing on Tana.

"Sumia, what were you doing there?"

"I wanted to show you I'm strong, Alec," she said, "I don't want you to always protect me or treat me as a stereotypical woman."

I saw tears streaming from her eyes A bunch of voices started to demand me to do the best action to calm her down.

_Kiss her! Do something affectionate! Tell her you love her!_

"Sumia, listen to me," I said as I held her shoulders.

"Huh?!"

"Sumia..." I blushed madly, "We can protect each other, it doesn't always have to be me. But when you do protect me, always remember I believe in you no matter what."

Her face showed deep surprise, which eventually shifted into a confident smiling nod.

"Alright, we should finish this battle! I want Gangrel dead as much as everyone here does."

With a nod, she flew up high and spun her lance fervently. She burst toward Mustafa's fortress with extreme speed, catching up with Chrom and the other Shepherds surrounding the fort. When Sumia landed her pegasus, I got off and looked at everyone around the fort.

"Guys, I'll take it from here," I said, "Protect me from intruders however you can."

"Are you sure you can face him yourself?" Chrom asked, concerned for me.

"If I'm able to survive Frederick's months of near-death experience training, then I think I'm up for the challenge."

"Very well, Alec," Chrom said, "But call us if you need help. We're always by your side."

I smiled at Chrom's words and confidently grabbed my iron sword. Sumia then grabbed my hand and looked at me with a concerned look. I'm sure she wants me to come out alive.

"Alec, promise me that you won't die on me. I can already see the ending," she said.

"Don't worry, Sumia, we'll carve our ending later."

* * *

Inside the fortress, Mustafa awaited me with his ax in hand. He equipped the strongest throwing axe mass produced for Berserkers, Warriors, and axe-wielders alike: a tomahawk. Mustafa looked at me seriously, unlike most of the barbaric leaders who showed arrogance. He didn't say any words and just charged toward me. I couldn't turn back now.

I grabbed my sword and clashed with his axe. Mustafa was stronger than me, effortlessly pushing me back. He tossed the axe high, spinning in place then threw a powerful dropping swing with his axe. It was easy to dodge before he brought down his axe, but the swing was so fast and massive, it could easily slaughter a man in an instant. While his weapon was stuck in the dirt, I threw a knife at his arm. It hit, but he shrugged off the damage like it was light rain hitting on him. I looked at his face. It wasn't a face of a true berserker, it didn't express bloodshed or sadism. It was stern and focused.

I grabbed my tome and shot a ball of lightning at him. He fluidly dodged it and he threw his tomahawk with vehement strength. I dodged the axe in time and charged at him. I swung my sword to his head, only to be blocked by two smaller iron axes. I didn't take note of those axes on his pauldrons.

"Were you a pirate?" I asked.

I backed away and got into a position. Mustafa silently nodded.

"I was a pirate, but when I came to Plegia..." he swung both axes in an overhead swing, only for me to avoid the attack with a sidestep, "I met my wife, and we soon had children."

"I don't even want to fight right now..." I said somberly, "But I can't let you get in my way."

"So be it, Alec," Mustafa said as he reeled his arms to his right and did a powerful swing. My blade was cut down by the force of the axes, widening my eyes in fear.

He used his left axe to throw a diagonal slice down my chest, cutting my chest with a grievous wound. I knelt to the ground, using my sword to help me stand up.

"Alec!" I heard Sumia cry out.

She flew right in front of me and blocked Mustafa's following attack with her lance. The lance soon broke and Sumia was about to be beheaded by Mustafa's hugging slash. I still held the broken blade and lunged it at Mustafa's abdomen, halting his actions. He backed away slightly and huffed heavily from sustaining damage.

"Sumia, don't expect me to outburst on you," I said, "Assist me if you wish."

"I'm not going to fight him with you, I already know that you'll win," she said, "I believe my love can overcome even the strongest berserker in this continent."

"Your love?"

"I lo-"

"We can say it as much as we want later, just leave or help me, you lovable klutz," I replied, interrupting her love confession (though in my own opinion, I found it unnecessary).

She passed me a steel sword, possibly Stahl's or Gregor's.

"This is from Chrom. He told me to give it to you when your iron sword broke," she said, "Chrom believes you can beat him."

"Oh Sumia, I love you so much."

She giggled with a blush and smiled warmly.

"Yeah, and I love you too, now win!" she said as she ascended into the skies, "I believe in you, my love."

When I saw Mustafa, his wound was fully healed. He held a concoction on his belt which he drank and tossed away. The healing light of Lissa's Physic staff rejuvenated me, healing me back to full health.

"Fair healing phases, friend," Mustafa said as he flourished both axes.

"We could be friends..."

"Now, let's end this, Ylissean," Mustafa said.

"I'm not an Ylissean..."

I leapt up high into the air and threw a powerful dropping slash on him. His twin axes clamped my blades like a crab holding an octopus tentacle. I hopped back and threw a slash to his left side from above, only for his other axe to parry it. I was staggered for a bit, but I saw him reeling his axes to the left. preparing to gash my stomach with both axes. With a hop back, I managed to avoid it. I attempted to lung him with my steel blade, only for him to clamp it with both axes. Mustafa used his free leg to kick me off and into the fortress wall. My back and stomach felt sore from their respective impacts. To my left, I saw a weapon tray nearly empty, save for an iron sword. I grabbed the iron sword with my left hand and got up.

Mustafa slowly walked backward, giving me space to go a bit forward. The rain kept falling, but none of the drops held us back. I reversed the grip of my left handed blade and charged forward. I threw a quick double blade swing with both swords at Mustafa, who guarded the strike successfully. I reversed the grips on each hand, using my right hand in dagger grip and swung to my left, then switched to a vertical crossing slash with each hand slashing up or down. This managed to break Mustafa's cross armed guard.

"Damn!" he shouted.

I spun around and threw a horizontal double slash with each sword fanning to the opposite direction, slashing his chest. Mustafa backed away slightly and regained his posture shortly.

Mustafa is quite skilled for a berserker, but I'm faster than him. He makes up with strength, but speed will eventually overcome strength when their defenses are low. Berserkers are powerful and seasoned barbarians who continue to master the axe, which strikes fear into the enemy.

We kept on clashing our blades together, the sparks lit up the dark and gloomy area for brief seconds. Mustafa's strength was horrifying, nearly fazing my own slashes with his own.

What I didn't realize is that Mustafa managed to position himself to be close to the tomahawk he threw at me. He sheathed both axes on his waist and picked up the tomahawk. Mustafa crouched down and leapt up high, preparing to chop me down with his axe. I gripped both swords tightly. It looks like in this clash, one will survive. I suddenly started getting absorbed in blue flames. These flames didn't burn me, but they invigorated me instead. I felt magical power empower my muscles and sword. If I was deluded, I'd be seeing a blue image of Sumia holding my sword and infusing it with pink flames.

"This game is over!"

I shot toward Mustafa and as soon as we got close, we swung our weapons at each other. Both of us felt a gash of blood on our stomachs, experiencing excruciating damage from the exchange. It felt to painful to move my whole body, making me unable to move. I felt like I was dying; in rigor mortis. Suddenly, I was caught by Sumia, who safely transported me back to the Shepherds.

She lay me down on the ground, but my eyes started to feel heavy. I saw Lissa holding what looked like a staff with a crescent and a gem in the middle of it. She shone it on me as I started to sink into a deep sleep.

* * *

I woke up in my tent, as if I woke up from a dream. I removed my blanket to reveal my chest wrapped in bandages. Seeing how I sat up, I think it's alright for me to walk. But then again, I feel pretty groggy, so I just sat down and pondered on the last battle. Did Mustafa die, knowing that his death would mean the safety of his family, or did he survive and he faked his death so he could reunite once Gangrel was defeated? I really hope Mustafa lived. My tent entrance opened, revealing a beautiful brunette.

"Hello, Alec," she said softly.

She sat on both knees, looking at me with her radiant eyes. She smiled with a sad look on her eyes, and I think I saw tears welling up. She pulled me into a deep embrace as she wept her eyes out.

"Sumia?"

"Oh Alec, I'm so happy that you're alive!" she cried, "I thought you would've died after Lissa used her recover staff."

"I've been wondering, who set up my tent?" I asked.

"I did," she said, "Ever since you've started to get knocked out after battle sometimes, I always want to put you in your tent so you could wake up comfy."

"Can't you just put me in your tent?" I asked, "Not that I don't like you setting up my tent."

"Oh," she said with a sigh of relief.

"In fact, I find it sweet," I smiled to her, my face feeling warm.

Sumia seemed flustered and nervous, as if she's hiding some sort of secret stash.

"You can tell me anything, Sumia," I said, "We're lovers now, aren't we?"

"Don't say that out loud, it's embarrassing," Sumia grabbed her own cheeks, attempting to cover her reddened face much to my amusement, "Well, I guess you're right, but I guess we should ask Chrom if we can share tents."

"Um, uh..." I scratched my head, "I don't know, we should ask Chrom about it. Can I ask where we're heading next?"

"Oh, Chrom said we're going back to Ylisstol," she said, "You need to have a meeting with Chrom in the War Council when you get there."

"Right, but do we have a bit of free time in the town?" I asked Sumia.

"Yes," she said with a smile as she cuddled next to me, giggling cutely, "Thinking of taking me out on a date?"

With a chuckle, I kissed her forehead, causing her to relish the affection with a shaky reaction.

"Yeah, of course," I said.

She embraced me and cuddled up to my chest.

"Oh, Alec," she said softly, "I'm sorry I'm a bit of a klutz, sometimes, I just don't know if I deserve your love."

"You already do," I said, "You always try your hardest, your quite an imaginative mind, and you're very trusting and reliable on the battlefield."

She closed her eyes and smiled widely as she dug her head into my chest.

"I'm so glad to hear about my performance," she sighed in pleasure from hearing me compliment her.

"I'm so glad I got to know you a bit more," I said nostalgically, "From the name of your pegasus, your favorite food, your talent in playing piano, your pet cat, Rascal, and many things that got me so enticed to know you more."

"Even if you don't have a clear history, I'm so glad that I got curious of your alien origins," she giggled, "Who knew we would have been this close."

"Sumia, as a tactician able to scan boons and cons, your speed, your skill, your loyalty, and your willpower exceed mine," I said with a smile, "Trust me, sometimes I'm a bit aloof when it comes to Chrom's orders. I can't even wield two swords properly, I'm not as quick, and I hate trying my hardest at some points."

"Wait does this mean you'll-" Sumia had an angered look on her face.

"But of course, I'd try anything my hardest for you," I said as I absorbed her in a loving embrace, "Look sweetheart, I may not be Chrom, prince of Ylisse, Frederick, chief of knights, or Cordelia, knight paragon of the pegasus knights. My point is being with you makes me feel like I can freely be myself, and I know that myself wants to continue loving and knowing more about you."

"Aww, I love you so much," she suddenly shifted into character, doing a weird pose.

"It seems my plan to make you fall in love has worked, Verdant Nocturne," she said in a different tone.

I chuckled to myself and decided to join her role play. I clenched my fist and pumped it diagonally.

"Is it, or did I already fall in love with you from the start, Estella?"

The klutzy pegasus knight held me by the shoulders and kissed me on the forehead. This was certainly a breathtaking experience. As if time slowed down, it felt like an eternity had just passed.

"Let's make a contract to be together forever, my love," she said in a soft acting voice.

"I've already accepted. Bethesda, my gypsy friend has already foretold of this event," I replied softly.

Her grip shifted into an embrace, and I too shared her action. I grabbed my square device and played the song "Serenity".

We were absorbed in our gazes, smiling warmly, warm as the blushes on our faces. Though I had some visible bags due to my insomnia, Sumia still basked in the brilliance of my feelings for her. As if we both had control of both of our bodies, we both mimicked each other by closing our eyes and closing the distance between us. This is it. I'm about to kiss her. Is this my first time? It totally feels like it is.

**"SUMIA! WE HAVE PEGASUS DUTY! GET OVER HERE NOW!"**

With a sigh, we sadly separated as if I surgically removed a wart. It felt painful, even though it was in a sense, irritating. Sumia seemed sad too as she waved goodbye.

"We'll meet again in Ylisstol," she said.

Before she left, she turned to me and showed me a box-shaped present.

"Here, this is for you, Alec," she said with a smile before running away.

"Thank-" she already left.

Instead of wallowing sadness from being separated by my love, I decided I should listen to this Serenity track with my headphones.

I loved the piano, and especially the new mysterious instrument prominent in most of the song. They all have a mellow rhythm and tone, fit for both melancholic and romantic moments. Wait, I forgot calming. Either way, this song made me think of Sumia even more. Thoughts of her being happy, helping me out when I need it and vice-versa, spending time with her.

With a smile, I grabbed the nearest book and decided to do some more research on classes. Now that I've grown stronger through these battles, I feel like I'm ready to change. Gangrel might bring his strongest forces in battle, so I have to know their garbs and their weapon proficiency. I looked at the box Sumia gave me and unwrapped it. The gift inside brought my usual casual yet confident smile back up.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**I haven't been writing a while, mostly because:**

**-There was no internet for one week.**

**-I still had to put shit in my new house.**

**Since I'm reaching the end of the Plegia Arc, I guess it's alright to talk about the children.**

**I've reached the point where I got all my children characters in-game (but not finished), and I have a pretty big issue to deal with****. I don't know who to ship them with. I haven't chosen Morgan's or Cynthia's yet. So, feel free to pepper the reviews with pairing requests, and I may put it to consideration.**

**As for next chapter, it will be another breather, considering that Chrom is letting the Shepherds prepare/rest for the upcoming attack on Gangrel.**

**I might update this Friday depending on my progress of the next chapter, so stay tuned.**

**Also, over 4.5k views achieved X3. Thank you so much for reading this fic. Your views, your reviews, and your acknowledgement is my inspiration and purpose to continue this.**


	17. Dunces and Dark Mages

**Chapter 16**

**Dunces and Dark Mages**

Well, after the whole emotional episode of Chrom wondering if he's worthy of Emmeryn's ideals, the army and I decided to cheer him up. I told him that he doesn't have to do what Emmeryn did to be a good Exalt, but he has to do what he believes is right. He's his own ruler. With that cleared up, the Feroxi army began to regroup, so the Shepherds decided to return back to Ylisstol to prepare.

The War Council was not to brief nor long. We just needed to command the other Feroxi and Ylissean forces to divert the rest of the forces away from Gangrel's vanguard. And then, the Shepherds can take the Plegian Vanguard easily. The number of supporters to Gangrel's cause has diminished ever since Emmeryn's sacrifice. He was about to attack Ylisstol, but he realized that his forces were dwindling down. Our spies have revealed where Gangrel was making his last stand, but before we began our attack, Chrom realized that he won't be attacking with a small number of followers. But even then, he commanded the Ylissean Army with some volunteered Shepherds to guard Ylisse.

Vaike and Maribelle guarded Themis with an army by their side. Nowi and Donnel protected the latter's village. Chrom, Frederick, Sully, and Kellam guarded Ylisstol with an army under the prince's command. As for me, Chrom promised a break for me after winning all those battles.

I looked at my new Grandmaster robes. The jacket was purple like my last coat, but it was longer and there were golden trims on the tail, the my sleeve cuffs, and collar. My beige tank top is now a small short sleeved shirt, covered by a golden breast plate. My pants remained, but my boots turned into golden greaves. Due to the length of the jacket, A golden thread held together the upper parts of my coats, but I untied it and wore the jacket without putting my sleeves in it, making it seem like a cape. Usually when the wind gets too strong, it would usually get blown along with the wind, but I placed some clips in the coat that connect it to the sleeves of my undershirt. I suddenly gained a new set of gloves that reach up to the middle of my forearms.

"...But enough about me, what about you, reader?" I said as I wrote down on a piece of paper.

"Who are you talking to, Alec?"

I was in my room in the Ylissean Palace, so Chrom is a frequent visitor. I should stop speaking out loud when I'm writing novels.

"I'm just writing stuff down, Chrom," I said sheepishly.

"Uh-huh," the prince said with a raised brow, "Well, are you sure you're spending your whole break in your room?"

"Nope, because I have a date," I said, crossing my arms proudly.

"That's good. Sumia?" he said.

I nodded proudly.

"You guys have fun, I've gotta go back on guard duty."

With Chrom's departure, I decided to put my paper away and put on some good clothing for Sumia's date. We were just going to explore the village together and buy anything that catches our eyes.

After a clothes changing montage, I came out wearing a normal t-shirt with the symbol of the old Falchion on the middle. I wore pants that reached up to my lower shins with my red shoes. I slung a small bag on my back and headed out.

The village was vibrant with happiness as usual. People talking to each other with chummy smiles, businesses being happily advertised (legitimate ones of course); basically, Ylisstol was happy despite its threatened state from Emm's death. There was a good amount of repairs done while we were away after Gangrel's invasion.

The first thing on my checklist is to buy a gift for Sumia. I went to the bookstore to buy a good book. Sumia loves fantasy and romance novels, so I decided to buy something she's gonna love.

The book, Sanctioned Crystals, is one of the recent best sellers according to the vendor. It's about twin royals: a boy and a girl, who lead a band of misfits and warriors to fight and prevent a war declared by their allied nation. After the purchases were made, I kept it in my bag and headed out to the next store.

The next store was a jewelry store. The merchant looked like that trickster I helped on the east side of Regna Ferox, but this time, she wore a black bra with green pants and had a large bag right beside her.

"Oh, come on in!" she greeted with a smile and her index finger on her chin.

The rings were marvelous, the cheapest one being able to impress Sumia. I've seen some of these merchants before, so I'm prone to find something good on sale.

"Miss, do you have any engagement rings on sale?" I asked.

"Of course, mister," she pointed to a select few. Most of them were simple designed, only having rings with a square gem in the middle. There was one that caught my eye: a silver ring with a floral aesthetic. A bright diamond hexagon with triangles sprouting on each side was the most eye catching design.

"How much is this?" I asked.

"It was initially 30,000 gold..."

"Holy crap! That's even more than my freaking army funds," I shouted in surprise.

"I said initially, and you DID ask for ones on sale," she had a disapproving pout on her face.

"...Right," I replied hoarsely, "So how much?"

"7,500 gold,"

Well there goes 65% of my savings. I decided to just pay it. I'm sure Sumia would love a ring with an intricate flower on it, considering her love of flower fortunes. I'd do anything to be worthy of becoming her husband.

With the black box containing the ring, I happily put it into my bag and headed out. I took a deep breath. This could be my biggest moment, or my biggest date.

* * *

**Sumia's House**

Her house was common. Even as a pegasus knight, she wasn't officially part of the squadron like Cordelia was, as she volunteered to be part of the Shepherds. Despite this, she got a decent pay from her war efforts.

Today, Sumia wore a purple sweater that tightly wrapped around her with a pink short skirt and her usual garterbelts and knee-high boots, but the coloration is dark grey rather than purple. She carried a purple purse on her left side. The sight of her in those clothes made me blush madly.

"Hi, Alec," she said with a jubilant smile, "How do I look?"

"W-w-whoa," I said in a surprised voice, "You're breathtaking."

She blushed and grinned a silly grin.

"Thanks," she replied to my compliment.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Well... uhhh," I looked away from her nervously, showing her I have no concrete plan.

"Oh, has my uselessness infected you," she was about to break down into tears, "I'm so sorry, maybe-"

"Look, let's just stroll around the village and browse or buy things on the market that catch your eye," I said, "Well, at least to a minimum..."

"Okay~" she smiled again, brightening my day.

* * *

**Village**

The streets were bustling, like what I said a few paragraphs ago. Why did I say that as if someone was reading my life story? Whatever, moving on.

We admired the businesses that thrived on smiles and friendship rather than pure money. Sumia seemed happy as well, but my smile was the kind of smile from discovering something miraculous. I feel like I came from a dystopia. But despite that possibility, I still smile genuinely and warmly from the vibrant community.

"Oh, Sumia," I said as I saw her walking beside me, "We should... you know."

I made a gesture of me holding hands with my own. She seemed to understand it... until she repeated my action. With a sigh, I gently grabbed her hand with my left hand, causing both of us to flare up.

"R-right," she said.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" I asked with a friendly grin.

"No... I'm just not really used to it at the moment," she shyly admitted.

"If you want-"

She then clung on to my arm like a sloth on a tree. She embraced it warmly and smiled as if she was hugging a teddy bear. I chuckled from her affectionate gesture of love and accepted it with a kiss on her forehead, causing her to giggle.

We enjoyed the village foods. My favorite food was the cooked corn while Sumia's was the fruit/veggie salad. Sumia's a vegetarian due to her affinity with animals. I'd love to eat some beef or chicken, but I don't want this date to be a mess.

We talked about our daily training sessions, what we do when we were away from each other, and other things pertaining to the Shepherds little journey through Ylisse.

"Salutations, Alec," a voice called out.

I turned to where I heard the voice to discover Miriel, wearing a pink strapped tank top with a beige medium-length skirt. She wore high heels with long black socks. Ricken was by her side, wearing commoner clothing: a blue shirt with white pants reaching up to his lower shins with boots. Both magicians weren't wearing their hats. I've got to admit that Miriel looks charming without her hat.

"Hello, Miriel, are you on a date with Ricken?" I asked.

"Date? How's that humanly possible to be on a measurement of time?"

"Yes, we are on a date," the kid replied, "Or in her case, a 'research trip'."

"We're scanning the area to bequeath our needed materials for our next experiment," she lifted her glasses and smiled at me, "We're planning to replicate that device you had, and according to my concept of your device, I'll be needing an abundance of materials."

You know, I really wish Miriel won't commercialize the device once she managed to mass produce it. I don't know why exactly.

"Miriel, can you promise that you won't commercialize my replicated device once you finish it?"

"Why not, Alec?" Ricken asked raising his brow.

"Well... if only I can see my memories clearly, I'd say it can cause people to be... somewhat distant,"

"Pray tell."

"It's a sort of contacting device, and overusing it may cause other people to become distant."

"You know, as one of the people that helped Miriel, I guess you have a point, but if we were to complete it, I guess we'll keep it a secret from the rest of Ylisse," Ricken said.

"Though, I feel like we could use its potent contacting powers for the war, ensuring clean and powerful far ranged communication," Miriel intervened, lifting her glasses.

"Well, whatever, go have fun you lovebirds," I said.

"L-lovebirds?" Ricken said nervously with a blush on her face.

"Why do you address us as a fictional bird, Alec?" Miriel raised her brow, unfazed by my comment.

"It's just a given name to two people who seem to be in love," I said.

"R-right, we'll see you later, Alec," Ricken and Miriel walked away, leaving both of us together.

Sumia looked at my headphones and slung it around her neck. She lifted them up and put them on her ears.

"Can you pass me your device?" she asked.

"Sure."

She wasn't much of a stranger to my mysterious device. I showed her how to use it to browse through music, so she didn't mind. I tried to see what song she chose, but she hid the screen away from me.

"Fine..." I said, respecting her privacy.

As she let the music play, she tapped her foot and bobbed to the rhythm. Her body language was soft, meaning she must have chosen a soft song. I wonder what she chose?

"Alec~" I heard the pigtailed cleric's voice.

"Lissa?"

I turned to where her voice came from.

She now wore a shoulder-less blouse with a black frilly skirt that reaches up to her lower thighs. She wore black stockings with mid-shin high boots. She didn't wear her pigtails, letting her hair flow freely. If I didn't notice her voice, I would have thought that she was a completely different person.

"Hey, Alec, can you help me find Stahl?" she said, "I lost him at the food market."

I looked at Sumia, who smiled with a nod. I guess focusing on my date seems selfish. I went on to help Lissa. We searched through the food department, but I wonder why I never thought to consider?

"Wait a minute, Lissa, are you sure that you're with Stahl?" I asked.

"Yeah I'm sure, we were just eating here minutes ago," she spread out her arms, showing me the whole area.

I looked around and saw a variety of food vendors and restaurants.

"What did Stahl eat to get him to wander off?" I asked.

The image of Stahl eating some sort of drugged meat appeared in my head. The image of Lissa in a combat skirt and blouse appeared, wielding a gigantic sword, about to attack Stahl with it. I have a feeling someone else thought it would have been different.

"Well... um, I cooked him lunch just to show how much I care for him..."

"Mushrooms?! Where the hell did you get them from, Tharja?!"

"H-hey, it's not like I'm a plant biologist, Alec," she pouted.

"Mushrooms are fungi, silly," I crossed my arms and had a disapproving glare.

* * *

**Meanwhile in Tharja's house**

The scantily clad dark mage suddenly sneezed, even though she didn't suffer from any allergies or colds. She looked around, suspicious of who would make her sneeze. Tharja is alone, and her grim attitude basically ensured it (though Gaius kept on making advances on her). Her room was stacked with creepy and unusual ingredients for hexes, as if she's striving to become the worst chef in the world.

"Now, it's time to add the Rohipstools to the concoction."

According to her hexbook, the Rohipstools were a core ingredient for the love potion. She smiled wickedly and lustfully as she imagined Alec without his tank top and pants, but with his grandmaster jacket covering his whole body. She drooled from the image of the alien tactician. She grabbed the bag of mushrooms and took one out. Her eyes widened in surprise to realize that the mushrooms she got were normal mushrooms.

"What? I swore I had it with me before all of us left for home," she knew only one person to blame, "Gaius!"

* * *

**Back to Alec's view**

I think I heard a sneeze in the alleyway. I shrugged, finding the noise trivial.

It had been a few minutes, and we still have no clue to where Stahl wandered off to. We decided to ask one of the local villagers.

"Have you seen a man with messy green hair?" I asked a maiden.

"Oh, I think I saw a man wandering into the Dark Mage Dancers' Club," she said, "I think it looked like one of the Shepherds."

"Dark Mage Dancer?" I raised my brow, "We don't have dark mages in Yllistol."

I looked at Lissa, who nodded confidently.

"I know this place more than you, but the 'dark mages' here imitate their clothing, but not their magic."

I swore I heard the sound of glass break. I looked to my side and saw a thief running away from a store, being chased by an enraged Sully on horseback.

"Get back here, you thief!"

We decided to ignore Sully's pursuit and I let Lissa lead me to the Dancer's club. I have a bad feeling about this.

* * *

**Dark Mage Dancers' Club**

The 'dancer' club was full of sultry women (and some men) dancing on poles, entertaining men and women alike. I was horrified from some of the male dancers, but I'm obviously attracted to the female dancers. Some wore capes, but some didn't to reveal more of their nylon tightly wrapping around their body.

Well, we found Stahl the first second we entered. His delusions implied that he's in some sort of free brothel of some sorts, and both male and female dancers alike were terrified of his lecherous advances. I'm pretty sure this mushroom that Lissa accidentally cooked with is involved with Tharja's attempts to get me to fall for her. I think she's making not only a love potion... but hormone modification. Oh shit, Tharja just attempted to force me into lustful intercourse.

"Lissa, we must chase Stahl away before he can make any dangerous advances on the women," and men, "Wait, damn."

"Huh?"

"Do you by any chance brought a Sleep staff?"

"Well..."

* * *

**Back alley of Dancer club.**

"Keep this a secret from Chrom," she whispered angrily.

"I'm guessing this is where you keep a hidden stash of pranking material?"

She closed the hidden door to her supply of pranking materials. It consisted of jarred frogs (I nearly got a heart attack), jarred snakes, and other knick knacks. She spun her Sleep staff.

"Don't tell anyone, or I'll rob you using this staff."

I made a zipping gesture on my mouth to secure her promise.

"Let's get back before Stahl breaks out."

* * *

**Back in the club**

"Alright, I'm going to chase Stahl," I said, "Tag-along, Lissa."

"Okay."

I saw Stahl attempting to grope a dancer, causing her to cringe in fear. I grabbed a wind tome from my bag and used the wind to propel me toward the Viridian Knight. I threw a flying clothesline at Stahl. We both crashed into a table, destroying it completely. When we both stood up, he snarled at me like a wild animal and pounced. I tried to counterattack, but he was already latched on to me, scratching my head with his nails.

"Get off me!"

I leaned forward, standing on one leg while pushing my whole body to the floor. The deluded knight's back shook the floor, then I quickly did a front flip and threw a powerful heel kick to his stomach.

"Gragh!"

He grabbed my leg and pulled me in, grabbing both of my legs. He violently spun around before tossing me to a pole, injuring my back. I slowly got up from that grapple, though Lissa's mend staff healed my spine, causing me to stand up well again.

"Okay, I'll play your game!"

I ran toward him and threw a violent dropkick to his chest. The force of two kicks blasted him a considerable distance, but his feet tore the floor as he used it to brake his impact. The green knight raised his arms like a bear and attempted to grab me with a rampaging run. I grabbed a chair and swung it at his face. The man grabbed the chair and pulled it off my hands. He threw a spinning chair swing at me, fazing me and knocking me backwards.

"Ah, screw this,"

The crazed Stahl attempted to grapple me with a hug. I saw his exposed chest and threw an elbow to his stomach. The elbow stunned him briefly, giving me time to grab his head. I wrapped my arm around his neck, with me facing his opposite direction. I hopped up and dropped backward. Stahl's face slammed into the floor, probably dizzy from the pavement damaging his face. I got up slowly, mainly because that move hurt my back.

"Urgh, why did I have to do grapples?" I asked myself, "Couldn't I have just beat the crap out of him?"

"Alec!" Lissa shouted, "You wouldn't hospitalize your friend, would ya?"

"Right..." I stood up on his back with my back facing his.

"Okay Lissa, prepare your staff, I'll put him in a hold."

I kicked Stahl so his back could be on the ground. I grabbed both of his legs and turned his body so his chest would touch the ground. I still wonder why and how I know this move. As soon as he was lying on his side, I pulled his legs toward me and sat down on his back, causing the poisoned Stahl to scream in pain.

"Dammit Lissa, do it now!"

Her staff shone with a blue light, representing the nighttime sky. The blue light shone on Stahl and I, but I realized that I was radiated by this blue light. I suddenly started to feel the weight of my eyelids increase from feeling the light. I think I saw Stahl's leg droop down as I let go of the latter.

"Whoopsie, I forgot that you're in the sleeping light too," her voice was normal, but as I fell into the deep sleep, her voice got deeper and faded out quickly.

* * *

**I don't even know how much time passed**

"Urgh... damn," I opened my eyes and I think I saw a familiar figure. I

"Alec!" she shouted.

"That voice... Sumia?"

She threw a slap at me, causing me to wake up from this trance. I sat up and looked around me. It looked like it was late afternoon, and I was outside what looked like a partially wrecked gentlemen's club, considering the fluorescent lighting.

"What are you doing in a place like this?" she said in a disappointed voice, "Are you trying to cheat on me?!"

"N-no, I had to-"

"I heard what those women said about you," she said, "They said you were 'amazing'!"

"What?!"

She started tearing up and then she covered her face to sob in misery.

"I'm leaving, you lech!" she turned away with anger.

"Wait, Sumia, this is all a misunderstanding!"

She ignored me as she ran away. I looked at myself and realized that some of my clothes were torn. I think it was during that fight with Stahl that I've been this damaged. Speaking of Stahl, where is he? Where's Lissa?

"..."

I got up and went to the closest drinks vendor. There's too much happening right now, so maybe I need to chill out before I chase Sumia.

"One ice cold orange soft drink please."

* * *

**This chapter was both fun and hard to write.**

**Warning: Some Bragging Below. I'm usually a humble person, keeping most of my achievements to myself, but I guess I'll brag a bit.**

**Every relationship has to have its turmoils; I can't always have Sumia and Alec always be lovey-dovey and happy permanently, otherwise this story would be way stupider than it is now, right?**

**Well, after finishing classes and the whole Beelzebub manga, I decided to just finish this chapter with whatever knowledge I have... and that was why I decided to incorporate some wrestling moves. I myself have some knowledge of pro-wrestling moves, though I'm too weak to do them, and I forgot their names easily. I was initially going to make Lissa confess to Alec with Sumia bumping in accidentally, but I didn't know how to transition into that. So, I decided to do something that involved her closeness to the green knight... and Tharja's hexing nonsense.**

**I really hope you guys enjoy. I'll probably only update on Mondays only, now that my weekly quota is too hard to reach.**

**Also, I updated the cover picture, now depicting my waifu in such a cute form. Isn't she lovely? 3**

**Also, I tried the new Smash in Smash-fest for both days. I have to say, it's quite fine, but it's a bit brawl-esque. I've won almost all of my matches, and most of them were me playing Marth., and I won against three strangers who had some past experience. On the second day, I had a game where we're all Little Macs, and I won because I managed to kill a good amount of people both as Little and Giga. Also, I'm a bit of a tier-queer, and I already deem Mac to be E-C tier because he lacks overall versatility. He's devastating on the ground, but his aerial combat is one of his greatest cons, and that con can be abused greatly by other characters. The only other characters I tried were Zero Suit, and I think she's been buffed well. Her new final smash is cool, kinda like Radec's ult from PSABR. Smash-Fest was fun, especially when talking to a bunch of other strangers who have similar interests.**

**But yeah, enough about me or Smash, let's continue.**

**Once again, review if you wish. I'll take any solid reviews into consideration, and thank you for reading.**

**Edit: Quick edit of the ending scene.**


	18. God of Dreams

**Chapter 17**

**God of Dreams**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **Fire Emblem belongs to Intelligent Systems. Also, why Chrom for Smash? What will his Final Smash be? Why not Robin? We already have enough sword wielding Lords (Inb4 Ike is not a lord). Either way, it's my opinion, and you don't have to care or respond.

* * *

So, what exactly just happened? How did Sumia find out I was there? How did I get out of here? Taking a sip from the soda, I decided to calm down and think of a plan. I needed some tunes. Wait, how come my headphones and music device are missing?

"Dammit, Sumia!" I shouted to myself.

I started to feel frustrated. Sadness and regret started to sink in. I thought of where to find her, and the first thought that came out was her house. I quickly ran to her household. I screamed out her name.

"Sumia!" I yelled, "Are you there?"

No response. My last thought was the Ylissean Palace. It was pretty obvious she had a crush on Chrom, especially when she kept on talking about Chrom for the first few times we spent together. Chrom is still single though, so Sumia might consider him a backup choice. Thinking about this made me feel a bit anxious. I started to worry more about her. She can wield a weapon, but can she fight with only her fists?

Wait, speaking of fists, where's my bag? Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. I have my gold, my ring, and my gift to Sumia in it. I looked at my holster. It still held my Wind tome that I got the armorer to forge for a cheap price.

"Hey Alec," a certain gentle voiced man said.

Listening to the voice, I looked to where it came from. A green haired man in green armor, riding on a brown horse was that voice.

"Stahl, but I thought you were still in a date with Lissa?" I said.

"Well, after my little incident, I had to do guard duty with Lissa."

"Hello."

Lissa walked to me, wearing her Sage robes. When we saved a village up in Ferox from Risen/Zombies, Lissa's magical power grew from healing the wounds of Shepherds and citizens alike. Eventually, her magic power grew to the point where she can take on our current level threat. Her healing prowess also equaled her magical might, even with a simple Thunder tome.

"Even royalty has to do duty," she rolled her eyes, "But right now, it's Sully and Kellam's shift to lead the village security, so we'd like to help you this time."

"Gee, thanks," I said with a smile, "Will you help me find Sumia?... and my bag?"

"Yeah, we can," Lissa said gleefully, "We need to mend your little date, like how you did with ours."

With that heard, I grabbed my wind tome from my holster and pointed to the sky.

"Let's go, we've got a girl to save."

Stahl kept a copy of a map that Sully gave to him during her shift. If only I had a certain pegasus to ride on to scout the whole village.

"Let me help," a gruff voice was heard as well as flapping wings.

A cloaked man riding a silver wyvern suddenly appeared. His identity was hard to figure out due to the cloak wrapping around most of his body. Two Killing Edges rests on his left waist, while one katana is held on his right hip. He wore simple armor with normal clothing underneath. The cloak covered most of his face. If I looked closely, he wore what looked like a mask with bandages covering the lower parts of his face.

"Who are you?" I asked the mysterious man.

"My name isn't the issue, friend," he calmly said, "Just call me Morpheus. Allow me to help you."

"Are you sure you can be trusted?"

Morpheus sounds like some sort of mysterious hero name.

"... Just ride on my wyvern!"

"Fine."

Orpheus landed on the ground and I hopped on his wyvern. He rose up quickly, surprising me as well as triggering my fear of heights. The reason why I'm able to go over my fear of heights while with Sumia was because being with her made me feel fearless and powerful. A stranger with a wyvern coming to help me felt weird, so I didn't feel that fearlessness that I gained from fighting with Sumia.

"By Naga's flame!" I shrieked.

"Hold on tight," he said calmly.

He glided around the village skies, scanning the area. I looked at him. He's a man completely covered in mystery. Does he have the same origins as "Marth"?

"So, now that I know your name, I guess I'll tell you mine," I said.

"...What is it?"

"My name is Alec, and it might be possible that Morpheus is your alias."

"... Correct, but my real name isn't the issue," he replied, "I have heard of your name, and I witnessed the assailant who took your bag."

"What do you want with my bag?" I said, suspecting his creepy knowledge, "Are you in any way connected to Tharja?"

"Tharja? Like hell I'd associate with that creep," he replied coldly, "But I've gotta admit that she does have a nice body."

"Hey, I agree too."

We stayed silent for a while. That silence faded with a friendly chuckle. I don't know why, but it's as if we're related or brothers.

"Cugar, did you spot who we're looking for?"

It shrieked lowly in response and dove toward a dark part of the village. I hung on to my life as Cugar tore through the air as it dropped down. The wyvern flapped its wings a few times and landed on the floor on both feet. A group of bandits were meeting up, with the leader holding my bag.

"Hey, that's mine!" I shouted as I pointed to the gruff leader.

He was overweight, and wore the garbs of a Berserker. Due to his size, two large tusked skulls acted as his shoulder pads. He held two giant silver axes in each hand. He lead a group of axe wielding bandits.

"Bastard!" he shouted, "Why do you wish to take the contents of my bag?"

"Shut up, fatso," I shouted, "I'm going to maim you and present you nude to all of Ylisse."

He stuck out his tongue cockily and spun both axes. Morpheus grabbed both swords from each hip and unsheathed them.

"Get ready, Alec," he said in his usual calm tone.

He unsheathed the third one into the air and I grabbed it. A large group of axe wielding barbarians hungrily prepared their axes and leapt up high. The veiled man engulfed himself in a blue and purple flame similar to what happened to me. He rose into the air and spun around, releasing purple flame cutters at the barbarians, burning them as well as showering them in pink petals.

"Where did you learn that skill?" I asked him.

"... It's not of concern, Alec," he replied, "The only concern is your stolen bag. Now go!"

I nodded and hopped off of Cugar. Some bandits blocked my way, so I entered a sword drawing stance.

_Remember, breathe deep, visualize your targets, and completely focus on them. Let your blade tear through the air, as if it were a paintbrush. Don't focus on the weight of the blade, only focus on the masterpiece you'll achieve. That way, nothing will hold you back._

I took a deep breath and slowly closed my eyes. The image of the bandits disappeared, leaving only their axes floating in the air. I quickly opened my eyes and flourished through the ranks with a weightless blade. Nothing held me back, as I gracefully passed through the group of bandits. The iron axe handles were cleanly cut through by my sword, and some were unfortunate enough to get their arm gashed. I started to breath heavily, realizing the tax of the technique. Lon'qu said that the technique can be quite exhausting, and using it a second time can not only tire out the whole body, but potentially damage it permanently. I could still fight in good condition though.

"Give me my bag back, creep."

"Heh, I'm the greatest bandit, you know," he cockily boasted, "I came here all the way from Chon'sin, so don't think you're the only one agile."

He joined the bottom of his axes together and split them up, revealing a chain link. Is he using two silver axes as a kusarigama?

"Heheh, with my skills, I'm sure gonna get paid handsomely by King Gangrel."

He disappeared with a smoke explosion. My whole body started to get dark, as if a something was above me. I quickly dove to my right to avoid the fat boy's body slam. He ran toward me with surprising agility and threw a brutal groundbreaking axe swing. I managed to dodge it and punished him by slicing his arm. Blood gashed from the arm he recently swung with, but the functionality of his arm was intact, shown through his counter swing. I hopped over it and painted his chest red with my blade. He grunted in pain, but still continued to fight. He spun his left axe using his chain and he swept the floor with it. The chain hit me, causing me to trip. I saw him jumping high into the sky with his upper body reeling back. He was about to prepare a heavy final swing until an unexpected creature came to my aid.

"Gragh!"

Cugar bit both of the axes with powerful effort, despite being a heavy downward swing. Cugar was strong enough to lift the fat bandit with only his neck as he picked him up over his body and slammed him to the other side.

"Cugar, behind you!" I shouted.

A group of bandits attempted to attack him, but Cugar turned quickly and spewed a torrent of green flames. The bandits were engulfed in the inferno and soon dropped down.

"I'll barter that rare silver wyvern wing, if you don't mind," the leader said as he was about to throw his axe.

"Not today."

The chains broke from a blue slash. Morpheus stood over the bandit with both swords sheathed. The bandit attempted to throw a karate chop at him, but the silver wyvern chomped on his arm.

"Give me the bag," I said as I contacted the tip of my blade on his neck, "I promise you'll live if you mercifully return it to me."

"It ain't over yet, stud."

He transformed into lumber, disappearing with a small cloud of smoke. I heard Cugar scream as he charged his flame breath again. This time, he shot a ball of fire into the sky. I felt something rend my back. A true kusarigama was the culprit, coming from the fat ninja. The wound was light, and even if I bled from it, I could still fight fine.

"Dammit, that stings!" I complained.

I turned to him, but I saw multiple doppelgangers copying his image. They both disappeared with extreme speed and surrounded me.

"Alec, catch!"

He tossed me an Arcwind tome. I've managed to practice using hybrid techniques while we're not in battle in camp. I've recently learned a new technique using the Arcwind tome and a sword. I held my tome with my left hand and spun around with my sword on my right. The green wind surrounded me as I rose up into the air by the spiraling wind. While the Arcwind tome was a moving tornado, I could only levitate for a temporary time, as the tornado has to move forward. I supercharged the tornado to suck in my opponents so I can cut them with my blade and blow them away as it launches forward. I would be the only one left as I've already reached the top of the tornado. Only drawback was one of my most hated cons about myself: nausea.

I landed gracefully, no ninja doppelgangers to surround me. I started to feel dizzy and nauseous from that attack that I used. Still, how was Morpheus aware of my technique?

"I'll kill you myself!" he shouted angrily.

He swung down on me heavily with a silver axe. I swung my blade with vehement force at his swing, causing both of our edges to rebound. I dropped the Arcwind tome and unsheathed my wind tome from my holster. I hopped into the air with a wind boost and attempted to finish him off. But then I realized something. I was belly flopping. I wasn't in proper position to do a proper jumping strike. Guess my nausea weakened my rationality greatly. I fell down belly first into the ground... painfully. I couldn't get up due to pain and nausea.

"...Damn, so reckless," I weakly groaned.

"Fool!"

Suddenly, the sound of a blood gash was heard. I weakly looked up and saw a two killing edges exiting from his belly. He fell down on his side, revealing the killer. Morpheus swung both blades to their respective sides, swatting off the blood on his blade. He slowly sheathed both of them and walked toward me. He knelt down and offered me a hand. Why wouldn't I accept? I got up with his help and he patted me on the back.

"Well, it was good to be of assistance, friend," he said.

"Thank you, Morpheus," I showed my gratitude with a formal bow.

He passed me my bag and to my relief, everything remained untouched. Now that that's dealt with, he said he was going to help me find Sumia, so I asked him.

"Well, are you gonna help me find Sumia?"

I think I heard him grunt through those bandages, as if he was smiling. He simply got on his wyvern and pulled Cugar's reins.

"Just find her music," he replied.

With that, he rose into the sunset sky and flew to wherever he's going. Find her music... Does he want me to find someone who's playing music?

"Oh, hey Alec," I heard Lissa's voice to my left.

"Oh, hello Lissa," I waved at her.

"That little fireball in the air caught my attention, so I went to it."

"Really now?" Smart move, Cugar. Smart move.

"Well, I heard some Plegian voices nearby here, so I grabbed my Recover staff in case you need help.

"Thanks, I guess I do need your services."

She held out her Recover staff and engulfed me in green brilliance. My wounds closed in an instant and I felt my nausea disappear.

"Hey, Lissa, can I ask you something?" I asked.

"Yes. What is it?" she had her usual cute smile on her face.

"This is pretty weird but... Um... Did you have a crush on me?"

Her face flared up madly. Lissa shyly twiddled her fingers around. I don't know why I asked this, but I feel like this might make her reach closure.

"Well... um... uh,..." she started to mumble to herself.

"Do you?"

"Y..."

"Do you?!"

"I DID!"

With a sigh, I crossed my arms and looked at her. She was trembling with some tears in her eyes.

"Ever since the time I saw you in the grass, I grew interested in you. Those pranks were to gain your attention, and it actually worked... a bit. What do you think I did with your new tactician book?"

"What did you do? What did you do on my book?"

"I drew a picture of me and you holding hands..." she sniffled, "Alec, I-I loved you!"

I sighed and looked down on her sadly. I shook my head and flat out told her the truth. For some reason, this little chat felt like many minutes has past.

"I nearly fell in love with you too, but when I saw Stahl wanting to get close to you, I... I don't know what I got myself into... but it's already too late."

"Oh, Alec... I really wanted to be with you, but I'm already about to be married to Stahl, and I love him dearly," she said sadly, "But, why did you want to know so bad?"

"... Closure."

"...huh?"

"I didn't want to live my life with Sumia holding these emotions. If I told you right away, it's like I'm letting go of some weight with unneeded purpose."

"... I see, well, I have to go," she said, "Oh, and one thing."

Before she left, she ran to me and kissed me on the cheek, causing me to blush. She blushed too as she smiled with her hands behind her back.

"It was fun being in love with you, friend," she said with a smile, "Now go make Sumia the happiest lady in the world."

"And you go make Stahl the happiest man in the world."

She ran out the alleyway, waving goodbye. With a smile on my face, I continued to walk back to the shopping district. I smiled happily from her kiss, and how she friendzoned me. It would feel much more devastating if she was the one I tried to go for, but I feel like a huge weight was let go.

"What did Morpheus say?" Something about music.

A certain piano piece was heard. If I remember correctly, it came from one of my calm romantic songs in my... Wait, is that why Sumia grabbed my headphones?

Dum dum, Dum dum dum, dum dum dum, dum dum dum, dum dum...

"What would I do without your smart mouth..."

"Drawing me in, and kicking me out."

I heard a feminine voice sing that song. It sounded familiar. It came from...

"Sumia?"

I ran to where the noise was coming from. The music took me back to her house. I peeked through her front window and saw her playing on her piano. She was singing whilst playing her piano. I saw some tears form in her eyes.

The door was slightly open, so I quietly opened it and snuck in. How much times has she been listening to this song to play the exact notes?

"Because all of me..." she sung, "Loves all of you."

_Love your curves and your edges_

"All your perfect imperfections," she breathed before singing the next line, "Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you."

_Your my end and my beginning, even when I lose, I'm winnin'_

"'Cause I give you all of me."

I breathed in deep and walked beside her.

"And you give me all of you," I sat down beside her, much to her surprise. Despite that, she still continued.

We continued to sing the whole song. In the end of the song, she burst out all her tears into my damaged shirt. I embraced her, patting her back gently.

"It's okay, Sumia, I won't ever leave you."

"I'm so sorry. I'm such a big idiot. Those bullies were totally right!"

A surge of my own memories started to burst out in my head. They were only images of my past, but I swore I saw myself in a fetal position or having blurry vision from tears.

"But they were wrong. Look at what you've become. You're now a Shepherd, the battles have hardened your body and mind. What those bullies have said won't linger forever."

Her silly crying face was replaced with a smiling face.

"Oh, gee thanks, Alec," she said with a smile.

"You're the idiot I fell in love with right?"

"And you're the idiot that I fell in love with too."

I chuckled at her little jape. Sumia sometimes accepts she's a klutz, but she's my klutz, and I love her for trying her best in everything she does.

"My lover's contract says to protect not only you, but your emotions as well."

"...Can we stop doing these delusions?" she somberly said.

"What's going on?"

"We're adults aren't we? We should act our age frequently."

I remembered her trying to get into book characters by replicating their personalities and emulating it herself. But seeing Sumia like this makes me feel like a part of her was immediately erased.

"Being deluded makes me stray away from reality, and trying to act like fictional people will only make me hopeless."

"But you're not hopeless, Sumia. And your little attempts to link with the fictional world is what I love about you. In fact, I love everything about you, and I'm going to prove it. "

I stood up and went to my bag. I took out the small black box I've held for this whole day. I walked up to her and knelt to the ground. I closed my eyes, feeling the emotions build up from opening this. I took some practice from Virion when I asked him how to do a proposal fit for a gentlemen. Though he scolded me for my initial incompetence, he realized that a true gentleman must propose with all that he is instead of trying to act super fancy.

"A-Alec?"

"You're right, we are adults, and I'm proposing to you, adult-to-adult. Sumia, Madame Shambles, Estella, I, Verdant Nocturne, or Alec love you with all my heart. I can't bear the thought of losing you. I may not be Prince Roy of Elibian lore, having multiple girls swoon over her, or any other princes with large amounts of gold. But I promise to keep loving you more each day we're together."

I opened my eyes with a confident stare. I had a gentle smile on my face as I saw Sumia with a silly smile.

"Sumia, will you marry me?"

"Alec..."

She threw me in a suffocating embrace. At this point, I didn't care where she was. As long as she's with me every day, I'm complete.

"Alec! Alec! Alec! Alec! I accept, I accept!"

"Hey! Sumi-chan!"

"Sumi-chan?"

"I've read a bit of Chon'sin honorifics. When you call a girl with the chan suffix, it means that you treat them as cute, endearing, or your mutual lover."

Sumia giggled in response.

"You know, you're pretty cute too, hee hee~."

She loosened her embrace, giving me space to take out the ring and gently place it on her ring finger. She giggled from the sight of the delicate and intricate floral ring. After the whole ring wearing episode, we looked at each other gently. A gentle smile each on our faces with red blushes.

"You know, it reminds me of those romantic story books that you usually read," I chuckled to myself, "What next? Some sort of aerial attraction in the night sky?"

An explosion was heard in the sky, emitting a vivid green glow that lasted as long as a flea can survive in absolute zero. We went outside and saw the night sky. A brilliant array of curved lines lit up the sky. A purple ball of flame rose up into the sky and emitted a purple explosion of curved lines. I don't know exactly what this is, but the sight of it is brilliant.

"Whoa," we both said simultaneously.

Sumia looked at me with an excited smile.

"Did you plan all this, Alec?" he said with a smile.

"Er... um,"

I looked away and suddenly saw Morpheus's hooded head peeking out of an alley. He gave a thumbs up to me before surrendering into the shadows.

"Yeah... I have a friend who planned this light show."

"Oh, Alec, guess you really are a Master Tactician."

I kissed her forehead lovingly, stifling a cute giggle from the brunette. She beckoned me to put my head closer to her level. She kissed my forehead in return. This time, it's the big moment. Nothing to ruin it. No one nearby to interrupt. We slowly inched closer and closer. I can taste her breath from this distance. We both closed our eyes and we felt our lips touch. This feels like my first time, though for some reason, a primal urge wants me to dig deeper. I didn't want to force this upon Sumia, so through a few seconds of resisting the urge, we separated from each others lips and stared lovingly at each other.

"I love you, Alec, I always will."

"It's so easy to love someone who gives so much for herself for the sake of others," I smiled, "You're beautiful in both body and soul. I love you."

We watched the night sky. Those "fireworks" radiated the night sky with brilliance and beauty. Thank you, Morpheus.

As the fireworks persisted, so did Sumia's embrace on my arm. Tomorrow is when Gangrel will die. Sumia allowed me to sleep in her bed. We were too tired to mingle further, and I'm sure both of us don't want to immediately get to the "fun" right when we're engaged.

* * *

**Ah, another OC.**

**Who do you think Morpheus is?**

**Is he linked to "Marth"?**

**Tune in for the next few chapters.**

**So, even with classes done, I still managed to get some inspiration to write. Hell, this chapter was kinda hard to get over with because I felt like I had no purpose any more. I'm planning to get a Summer job, so this may or may not hinder my writing progress. Also... I have really expensive tastes, which can be compared to Severa's squandering, and is one of the reasons I want a job.**

**So yeah, after my exam is done (only one provincial :D. Yay!), I'm going to look for a job so I can get my lazy spoiled ass in shape. I'm not in a family of rich people, so yeah. In the words of some random guy: "If you want something done right, do it yourself."**

**In short, I'm starting to become a bit more independent, considering I'm a young adult. The only thing I wish for right now is a college dorm.**

**Okay, enough blabbering.**

**Review if you wish, and I'll probably be updating next Monday... or sometime later than that.**


	19. Tainted by Time

**Chapter 17.5**

**Tainted by Time**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Fire Emblem.

**"So, you're of Fellblood?"**

A body scarred beyond mutilation was found floating in a deep abyss. A man covered in a robe of darkness spectated the corpse. He would have expected the High Deliverer to return, fulfill his destiny of becoming **Him.**

**"You're weak, not as strong as your father was."**

The mysterious man shook his head. Why would the Fellblood use his own son to save the world? Was He aware of his memories?

**"Heh, you weren't weak. Just stupid. You need proper guidance to traverse the gates that bend time and space itself. You're lucky your body is intact. If you weren't Fellblood, you would have been completely obliterated."**

**"Hold on, Zaman," **a gentle voice called out.

**"Who intrudes my watch over the flow of time?"**

A brilliant white light appeared in front of him. A woman with blue aura appeared in front of Zaman.

**"It's only me, Naga. I've come to you for help," **she said as she looked at the child.

**"I'm the guardian of the flow of time, I can't leave my duties, Divine Dragon."**

**"I know of your role, Chrono Dragon," **Naga replied, **"But the Fellborn will be needed to help the Exalt bring back hope. For if he wishes for his full destruction..."**

**"This isn't the Fellblood that would soon become the Fell Dragon himself," **Zaman replied, **"Have you been pulled in by the Grimleal's delusions?"**

**"No. Alec may not have his father's full competence, but he has his potential to be a master tactician like his father was suppose to be in the other timelines. Aside from talents, Alec also inherited a humble and loving heart despite his anti-social past. He's a man full of surprises awaiting his adult life, so I beg of you, find a way to revive him. My power is weak as of now due to Grima's already growing power."**

**"... I will assist you, Divine Dragon. Grima has already plagued the realms of time, and if this Fellblood is truly the savior, one Grima will be gone."**

**"One Grima?"**

**"Yes. In the many dimensions that Grima has ruled, he had various mediums that have his blood. Robin is one of the many possible children of Validar. Many of the Validar's perfect children in other timelines escaped his tradition, but some could never make it back. The realm Robin landed is a land with untouched by magic or anyone with the knowledge of the Outrealm links. As the guardian of the Outrealm gate, I sealed that realm away. People may enter it if they find it, but they can't get out."**

**"How about the other realms like the beach realm?"**

**"I have sealed that away. Only my servants and who they choose to traverse the convoluted flow of the space-time continuum of the Outrealm Gate can enter."**

The Chrono Dragon revealed himself. He was as tall as Naga herself. He had a youthful look and wore the garbs similar to a Sage robe. A pauldron with a large clock stationed on his right shoulder, holding a red scarf with Roman numerals etched on it. He wore a hood, hiding his hair.

**"I shall place in him a special relic I've produced from destroyed fragments of time. He'll be back in his full form in no time, but he will face a horrible fate. This relic may help him, or torture him."**

Alec's wounds started to heal thanks to the time rune reversing his "time" to his former self. As soon as he was back to his normal form, Naga carried Alec back to the dimension where Lucina escaped to. Validar's son may not be the friend and traitor of Prince Chrom, but Naga had high hopes for him.

Looking at him reminded her of the times of one of her fellow manaketes: Nowi. One time in her past, Nowi was enslaved by humans and forced to entertain them.

Alec's life was similar to that. While he was gentle and laid-back, he was bullied by two children and sometimes threatened him. As he grew older, he grew detached from reality and his studies deteriorated. He was enslaved by hopelessness and during his last moments before being sucked into the Outrealm gate, he even had thoughts of suicide. He had been the entertainment of the negative reception he received.

**"Poor you, Alec. Cursed to be enslaved by both worries and people alike. You didn't have the ideal life, nor a life built up for war or fighting. Even with those traits, I sense that spark of hope in you. I hope through this trial and bloodshed of this world, you will learn of love, compassion, and friendship."**

Naga teared up from suddenly seeing the surge of Alec's memories. The hardship and abuse he went through caused her to let out a tear. The tear bonded with Alec's skin. The tear of Naga strengthened one who was engulfed in its golden luster. That's the only power she can offer before Grima eventually catches her.

With that, she left Alec on the field a few meters away from Southtown. She immediately disappeared back into her altar in Mount Prism. Grima then loomed over Alec's dead body. Grima grinned, preparing to bond with Alec and revive the true form of the Fell Dragon.

"Your as perfect as your father, Alec," Grima said with a smile, "With your blood, I will return and lay waste to this wretched world!"

The Fell Dragon cackled madly as a black aura surrounded the hooded figure. The young man was soon engulfed in his the black aura. Seconds passed, but both of them didn't transform into the Fell Dragon. Grima was obviously angered at this.

"Your heart is still weak, even with the tear of Naga empowering you," Grima threw a kick at his chest, but smiled in the end, "We're both of the same blood, and I can see your inner emotions like an open children's book."

The grin grew wider.

"You not only have my blood, but you also have my lust for slaughter," Grima chuckled, "Oh, I can't wait for that rage to overtake me, then this world! You'd end up being the Fell Dragon incarnate himself!"

Grima cackled madly and disappeared in a flash.

* * *

**Current Time**

I looked at my hand. The mark is still there. I feel a forlorn yet dangerous power through this mark alone. It's like this is the foil to the Brand of the were walking to Gangrel's hideout to finish him once and for all.

After this war, I promised Sumia a wedding, and with that, I looked for my best man. While Virion was aware of this and volunteered, I politely turned him down. I've been talking to Chrom more often and seeing him more like a brother. Whenever we fought, it was like we grew up as childhood friends. Even he said that I'm his other half of a whole. I see myself as the dark side of this other half while Chrom is the light side. Our brands pretty much says so.

Something I realized was that during practice, my magical power was considerably weaker than my strength. Ever since then, I've been honing my swordplay. For some reason, my wife, Sumia, found a sword with a golden hilt and a red jewel adorn in the middle. I felt a strong power emanating from this blade, but the durability doesn't live up to its legendary looks. I loaded that and the Killing Edge that Morpheus gave to me. Either he forgot it, or he insists I keep it. Either way, I love the Killing Edge.

"We can win this," I said to myself, "When we win, this war will be over and Plegia won't ever be in tyranny again."

"And after this, we're going to be wed~" Sumia said as she hugged my arm.

"I can't wait too, we have a war to finish first," I said as I pulled her in closer, "You'll be stronger by my side... even in Dark Flier garbs."

She wore a new uniform. A black sleeveless V-neck dress was the base of the clothing. She wore blue "sleeves", connected to a small golden choker with black fingerless gloves on each hand. She wore black stockings that reach up to her lower thighs with brown knee-high boots. Tana's white coat has turned darker and gained new armor. Because of Dark Fliers also having strong magic power, Sumia gained the ability to use Tomes, and I gave her my old Thunder tome for practice. Sumia actually has strong magical power for a Pegasus Knight, but it's still not as strong as Miriel's or Ricken's.

"And you will too, Alec," she said softly.

"Not only will it ensure your wedding, Alec," Chrom cut in, "It also means that peace will be restored in both Plegia and Ylisse."

"Yes. This peace is perfect for when Sumia and I will be wed," I said with a proud smile, "I may be a legal husband soon, but right now, I'm the tactician, and it's my duty to ensure that the Shepherds will not only be victorious, but go home to the peace that comes along with the end of this putrid war."

Chrom smiled at what I had said, and so did my wife. We continued to march through the Plegian desert sands and soon reach the border wastelands of Plegia. Gangrel may have a weakened force mostly due to Emmeryn's words. She knew that deep down inside, Plegians wanted peace, and the only way to be in peace is to lay down their arms and simply not fight. Even when Gangrel threatened to kill their families, at this point, he doesn't have enough forces to kill every deserters' families.

The sun is about to set and we were getting close. I went to the front with Chrom and Frederick leading the way. Sumia flew next to me on her dark pegasus. I brandished my sword and pointed it to the skies.

"This is Gangrel's Last Stand, Shepherds. Be ready."

* * *

**This is a small chapter, hence the chapter number being 17.5. The whole chapter's purpose was to basically have a bit of insight on Alec's time inside the Outrealm gate as well as some of his past revealed. Also, another OC appears. He's a very important character in the story, but he won't be making as much appearances. Zaman is basically like the Guardian of the Outrealm, but some of the Anna's are secretly his retainers and guides of the Outrealm Gate. If a human being enters unguided, the human body cannot handle the force of the space-time links, causing them to deteriorate and be torn to small pieces quickly. Powerful dragons such as Naga and Grima can withstand the cataclysmic energies of the area beyond the gate. Humans with the blood of said powerful dragons still cannot survive, but their bodies don't disappear quickly.**

**While Zaman is the Guardian of Time, Naga temporarily broke the seal to transport Lucina and the others to the past. Unfortunately, Grima was chasing them by the time Naga guided the children, so the seal was recovered after Grima made it to the past.**

**How Alec got through the gate is left up to your imagination, but you'll find an answer in later chapters.**

**Entering Off-Topic zone**

**I'll be looking for a job right after I get my report card.**

**Just to clear this out, Canas will always be the best Dark Magic user. Quoting from ShadowofChaos725's comment on Tharja:**

**"Tharja being popular in the Fire Emblem Fandom DOES NOT require me to like her."**

**I kinda like her, but she's an abusive mother.**

**But yeah, the reason why I like Canas over the Awakening Dark Mages is because Canas is actually likable. He's polite, studious, and he's very friendly despite being a scholar of Dark Arts. Also, he's one of my MVPs in my Rekka no Ken playthrough.**

**But yeah, that's my opinion, and like what I said in the last chapter on the disclaimer, you don't have to care or respond.**

**Also, I just realized that Vaike is basically the Bartre of Awakening. They're both dumb, but they're powerful fighters. I was about to say Gonzales, but Vaike isn't that stupid. It would be funny if he had a unique support convo with Kjelle as his daughter. His first part of his training regimen would be for her to hit him as hard as she can.**

**Until next time.**


	20. Who's the Maddest?

**Chapter 18**

**Who's the Maddest?**

"Olivia, you can do it!" I heard Chrom encourage the recent addition, Olivia.

The lady wielded a Killing Edge and managed to critically kill the Hero both of them were fighting.

I commanded Nowi and Donnel (now a powerful mercenary) to occupy one of the Eastern forts so that the mages inside wouldn't be summoned in battle. The others were having a hard time facing the mercenaries and fighters on the right, but they were still fighting with all they got.

My basic strategy was to go to the East and form a clumped group and slowly kill the incoming troops. Due to most of my teammates having low magic resistance, it was better to seize the fortresses where most of the mages and sages are summoned. It seemed to be working.

"I need some assistance, Alec!" Vaike shouted as he was panting heavily. Maribelle provided him much needed support.

"Virion! Assist Vaike! Chrom, hold back the Western forces!"

"Alright, Alec."

Virion used his newly acquired Long Bow to snipe the incoming forces. Cordelia provided Virion much needed distance from the warriors, making the archer's job easier.

"Eyargh!" Cordelia was horribly injured by a steel axe swinging at her back.

"Milady!" Virion screamed from her lady being injured.

If I looked closely, I saw Virion's eyes go mad beyond his usual confident glares. His irises... shrunk?

"Virion, what the hell is going on?!"

"Adieu, wretched scaled beast!" He fired an arrow into the head of the wyvern, causing it to fall quickly.

"Virion?!"

This isn't like him. I felt my hand emanate an eerie black glow.

"Cordelia, pass me your dagger," Virion said quietly.

"But..."

"GIVE IT!"

Scared, the red haired knight passed it to him. He grabbed the knife and immediately leapt toward the downed wyvern rider.

"Virion, that's suicide!"

What I saw was horrifying. Virion stabbed the poor rider in his chest, then proceeded to madly stab him in various places.

"Stop!" Cordelia cried out.

"Alec, what's going on with Virion?" Sumia said with worry, "What's with your mark on your hand?"

My mark glowed madly. It seems to be connected to Virion's derangement.

"Cordelia, get to a healer!"

"You got it, Alec."

Virion has somehow gone berserk, and I think it's my fault. I must have him subdued quickly before he even hurts one teammate. Much to my relief, Virion suddenly entered a state of drowsiness, courtesy of Lissa.

"I'll handle Virion's madness. Go fight Gangrel!"

"Alright."

Sumia knew where to go. The western forces have been minimized, and Gangrel doesn't have any riders nearby him. Gangrel saw me and he began laughing as he raised his Levin Sword up.

"Take this, you Ylissean dog!"

A huge beam of electricity suddenly erupted from the clouds. It tore through the ground and quickly shot toward us. Sumia managed to dodge it, but it was a trick.

"Grahaha!" Gangrel was somehow in the air that quick.

"What the hel-"

He did a front flip while slashing forward, summoning a bolt of lightning that shot both Sumia and I down. The pain of both the lightning bolt and the fall hurt me greatly. I managed to stand up with some effort and helped Sumia up. She got back on Tana and went into fighting position.

"Gangrel, you sick son of a bitch," I glared at him, "Why do you still continue to try and knock us down? Your army has sundered, and only a little amount of people are gullible enough to support your mad cause. Surrender now."

"Oh, you. The garbage tactician," Gangrel taunted, "Do you really think everything will be happily ever after right when I die? You're little Ylisse will still be known as being tyrants in the past!"

"Stop living in the past, dude," I replied, "I will be your undoing. Draw your sword and fight us!"

"Oh, us? What do you mean "us"?"

He snapped his fingers. Aversa suddenly appeared from the skies in her dark pegasus and used some sort of occult spell.

"What's going on with my body?" she was suddenly floating and soon imprisoned by dark chains.

"Don't try to save her, boyo," the Dark Flier said in her usual sultry tone, "Try to touch her, and she'll be engulfed in darkness."

"You and your dirty tricks, Aversa," I said with gritted teeth.

"Now come, Alec," she said licking her lips, "I can't wait to hear that climax."

"Damn you, you slut!"

Gangrel charged swiftly and threw the first strike. I managed to clash his Levin Sword with my Killing Edge. With a smile, he threw a powerful launching kick fueled by electricity from his sword into my jaw. In the air, I saw Aversa casting a spell. I saw the magic circles around me, meaning that the spell will soon activate.

"Wind!" I heard Sumia shout.

I was suddenly lifted higher, away from the dark magic spell. I saw the burst of inky darkness detonate. I'm relieved that Sumia was able to use the Wind tome via Tana.

"Tana, throw him any spell!"

The pegasus obeyed, throwing me a Rexcalibur tome. I quickly grabbed it and used it on Gangrel to launch him into the air. The large pillar of wind lifted him high up into the air, giving me an opportunity to hit him. I used my Arcwind tome and engulfed myself in the rushing tornado. I outstretched my killing edge, acting like a sort of top. I managed to hit Gangrel on his chest, giving him a large cut. I managed to land safely and not in a nauseous state.

"Oh, poor little devil, let me heal you."

Aversa summoned a staff from behind her and used it to heal Gangrel. She held a Recover staff?!

"Oh Gods, why?" I said to myself.

"Here, Alec, let me help!" Vaike shouted as he tossed his Volant Axe at Aversa.

"Auuugh!" she screamed in pain as the axe hit her and her pegasus. Both of them dropped down, but they were still alive.

"Fat b-boy, h-help," she weakly said.

Aversa got absorbed in a white light and disappeared. It seems that someone outside of this battlefield used a Rescue staff on her.

"Don't worry, pal, Teach has-" A sudden thunder bolt shot down on Vaike, but Maribelle took the blow.

"Maribelle?!" Vaike was stunned.

"Don't worry, darling," she said weakly, "I can take two shots of magic from this fellow. Just retreat for now. Lissa will use her staff."

"But Maribelle-"

"Vaike, Gangrel is too fast and your resistance is low. Since he has a sword and has great agility, he could quickly end you."

"Vaike, honey, just do it, please," Maribelle begged.

"Fine," he finally agreed, "But only because I want to see your charming face again."

With that, both the troubadour and fighter escaped before Gangrel could call down the thunder.

"Sumia, with me."

She was free from Aversa's dark shackles and ready to fight on her pegasus.

I took one step back with my front leg and pivoted to face Gangrel again. I entered a certain fighting stance and charged in quickly. I threw a quick swing from underneath then a spinning slash in quick succession. Gangrel was skilled enough to block both strikes. Sumia added on with her own lunges, but even her swift strikes were no match for Gangrel's acrobatics. He leaned backward fluidly to dodge the first stab then shot into the air with a graceful backflip when Sumia attempted to swing at him.

"Heehee, you thought I was all bark, didn't ya?!"

Irritated, I shot toward him and used my Rexcalibur tome in conjunction with a back flip kick. Gangrel was shot up high and Sumia tossed a javelin at Gangrel's airborne body. The javelin pinned down the Mad King, but he still got up as if it was nothing, surprising both of us. He laughed madly as the wound was closed by a distant beam of green light. Shit, Aversa is still supporting him. But if that's the case, then why isn't she returning to the battlefield quickly?

"Come on!"

He jumped in an arc forward while flipping forward. He swung a charged blade at me, but I managed to dodge it in time. I swung my blade at his right, but he parried it and punished me with a spinning drop kick.

"Urgh!" I rooted my feet to the ground and got into position quickly.

Gangrel is fast and quite strong. I needed to think of a way to hurt him. Also, I need to think of a way to stop Aversa from interfering. In the middle of my thoughts, Gangrel already got close and swung at me. I clashed his blade with my own and I swung at him in return. He blocked it with his sword easily. I squinted my eyes, scanning for a weak spot. This time, I attempted to attack him from his left.

As if time slowed, I saw him quickly moving his sword to his left. I saw his left hand clench into a fist and he threw it to my right cheek. The fist was strong enough to cause me to spin.

* * *

**Flashback of Sword Training**

_Lon'qu, though a fast target, had a way to quickly counter his opponent after spinning madly from a powerful strike._

_When I managed to exploit him and threw a powerful swing, he spun madly, but he managed to gain composure through that spin. He used the momentum to enter a drawing stance with great timing on when he would stand completely still._

_I was clearly fascinated by the technique, and he taught it to me, which took nearly three weeks to master. I'm a pretty quick learner, but all of those times I actually had to get hit._

* * *

"Aurgh!"

Gangrel's chest spewed out a huge amount of blood from the cut on his chest.

"Dammit, you bitch," Gangrel spat.

"Come on, I thought you still have something up your sleeve."

"Why thanks for reminding me," he sarcastically smiled.

He summoned an elixir and drank the whole bottle. He wiped his mouth from some of the excess elixir fluid.

"Just in case bird lady can't heal right now," he smiled evilly and raised his sword up high.

A storm of lightning bolts rained down on the area around him. Gangrel was empowered by the lightning emanating from his Levin Sword. He cackled madly from the power he gained.

"Hahahaha!" he gloated, "Try and catch me!"

He was a good distance away from me, but he appeared to me in a split second. Out of panic, I entered a defensive position, blocking the sword swing in time. I got pushed back from the mere force of the swing. I attempted to focus on the energy of the blue flame within me, but the Mad King threw a front flip kick at my head, knocking me into the ground.

"Alec, let me!"

Sumia charged forward and stabbed Gangrel. The Mad King shrugged before dissipating into the air. Tana hopped into the air, but the Mad King already reached her.

"Sumia!"

I summoned a green tornado at Gangrel using my Arcwind tome. The speed of the tornado was fast enough to reach Gangrel, causing him to be knocked away.

"Trying to catch me, sonny?" he said behind my back.

In a split second, I saw him about to stab my face, but for some reason, I managed to clash his blade with mine.

"Bring it!"

A cacophony of sword clashes was heard as both Gangrel and I locked ourselves in a lightning-fast fencing match. Gangrel had somehow become as fast as lightning itself, giving me a hard time to actually find a precise weakness.

"More! Faster! I can barely see my strikes, but you stab like an amateur."

_**"Oh, hiya there, squirt~"**_

_"Who in Naga's name are you?"_

**_"Oh, hey you know that mark on you?"_**

_"Are you connected to it?"_

**_"Hmmm~. Maybe~? I can't spoil you yet, sweetheart~."_**

_"Stop flirting with me, mysterious voice, get to the point."_

**_"Oooh, you're so cruel. Meanie!"_**

"Gwahahaha!" Gangrel was about to stab me with a supercharged sword, but my wife suddenly came in front of me.

"SUMIA!" I screamed as if my throat was gonna be torn asunder, "NO!"

"...Alec... I'm really... really sorry," she trembled as she knelt down to the ground, "You... You're more important than... I am."

"Sumia, don't say that," I said as I held her up, "You're the one who warmed my heart. You were the one I could act stupid around, and you laughed with me. We wrote tales together and read books like we were library nerds. You were the one who made me learn to love again."

"Alec... my... love, please... win," she weakly said, "Just let... me... die. Know that... I always love you."

"Sumia... please," I was on the verge of tears, "Have hope. I want to grow old with you. I don't want our future to be gone."

I tried my hardest to cover her wound, but she soon closed her eyes.

Suddenly, the black avian appeared right in front of me, riding her black pegasus.

"Oh, poor boy~"

_**"Come on, little boy. This is your chance, unleash your hate. Your malice."**_

"Time to die now, boy," Aversa formed a black ball of electricity, "Your forces are surrounded by our soldiers, and you seem worn out from your little fun time with Gangrel."

I looked around me and saw a massive force of Plegians marching through the battlefield.

"Hold!"

All of a sudden, another Volant Axe stuck on the floating pegasus. Aversa, though surprised at first, smiled and turned to whoever threw the axe. I looked at what she saw and saw someone who I thought I've never seen.

"Mustafa?!" I shouted.

"I am alive, friend," he said with a smile, "And I've gathered the deserters and rallied them to make their final stand against the Mad King."

I looked around and saw some of the men about to fight the Shepherds turn to Gangrel. One of the Sages in the fortress came out and used their rescue staff to warp Sumia to a safe place.

Gangrel was panicky. All of Plegia's forces were now against him. He was all alone.

"What madness is this?!" Gangrel said in fear, "Lay down your weapons, or I'll kill your families!"

"It's useless, Ass Hat. You have no one to help you. It's over!"

"Damn you, Alec!" he gritted his teeth.

Aversa had a nervous look on her face. Her pegasus briefly landed on the ground before springing high up into the air.

"Plegian Vanguard, Shepherds, don't intrude, this is my fight."

I suddenly felt a surge of violent energy coursing through me. The mark glowed madly and I was soon enveloped in an aura of blue and purple flames. These flames didn't harm, they... invigorated me.

"Now Gangrel, release your anger, your hate. All of it!"

**_"Yes~. Come on, infuse yourself with your fury and vengeance. Feel that power. Learn it. Use it. Love it."_**

My irises shrunk and I gritted my teeth in anger. For some reason, I feel inhuman; like a demon of some sort. I'll kill him for mutilating my lovely wife.

"I'll take it all and **FUCKING** kill you with it!"

He made the first move, using his lightning empowered Levin Sword to attack. I quickly drew out Alm's blade and clashed it with his sword. Those sharp zig-zag edges act like a static vice of sorts. I reeled my blade in and threw a lunge to his hip. It managed to hit his left hip, causing a wound to open. Gangrel hopped up high and threw a dropkick on me, knocking me away a set distance. I was flying through the air with my back staring at the ground. Suddenly, I felt a bunch of electric pillars bounce me toward Gangrel, with more pillars bringing me closer. I suddenly saw a large thunderbolt about to hit me from above, but it was too late for me to react.

"Ow, that hurt!" these flames not only empower my offensive strength, but my defensive.

"This is the end, Tactician!"

I saw a spinning Gangrel preparing to throw a finishing slash. As soon as he got close, I entered an orthodox stance; my left arm facing forward and my sword arm on my back. Time suddenly felt slow, as I saw Gangrel slowly floating in the sky. I stepped toward my right with my left leg and quickly did a spin, returning to Orthodox stance. We clashed swords and sparks flew out from the contacting edges. Despite the flashy light show, none of it held us back.

"This power...!" my gritting frown was replaced with a sadistic grin, "You'll fear me, Mad King!"

"Go ahead, kid!" he shot back, "Scare me!"

He did a back flip and landed near a dead Hero. He picked up the Silver Sword and held both swords in dagger-grip.

"All right," I brandished the killing edge and held it in dagger-grip, "Let's go!"

"Gwahahaa!" Gangrel laughed madly, "This is the greatest fight in my life!"

"I'm so gonna enjoy killing you! I have every reason to end you painfully!"

We charged at each other like wild beasts. Both of us swung our swords with unreal speed and unrealistically clashed them with unrealistic reflexes. Overhead. Ankle Cut. Hip Lunge. X-Slash. All the moves we're throwing at each other are just clashing with each other's steel. I can see the dirty grin shift into a fearful frown.

"Do I scare you?!"

Gangrel threw a overhead swing in an attempt to slice me in half. Using both swords, I clamped both blades. I felt the tip of the sword about to touch the left side of my forehead. I think he's trying to cut my left eye. I masochistically let him cut that part slowly. The Mad King, though madly violent, was immediately shocked from me allowing him to cut my eye.

"Alec?! What's wrong with you?!" Chrom shouted.

"Hehehehe!" I chuckled lowly.

My left eye now turned into a red mess before blanking out.

"My turn, asshole!"

I threw away all four swords in the battle and threw a powerful headbutt at the Mad King. He tried to get up like the actual coward he was, but I grabbed his head and smashed it into the ground.

"Alec! Stop!" I heard Chrom plead.

"You're just... a dog... a rabid one like... blue blood."

I stomped on his head, keeping that filthy blooded fool on the ground.

"Who's laughing now?"

Before he could reply, I threw a massive kick to his chest. This brutal action caused him to forcefully cough out blood. He got up shortly and he attempted to hop over me. I jumped toward him and grabbed him with both hands. I tossed him up high before throwing a spiking kick to the ground.

**_"Enrage. Mutilate him beyond human reasoning! Submit to me!"_**

_"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS DEMON POSSESSION CLICHE!"_

**_"W-Whaaat?!"_**

I suddenly gained my sanity again. I was exhausted from that little surge of energy, and overusing it made my body feel great strain above human pain. It's like I was sore from my limbs being compacted. I fell down to the ground, exhausted.

**_"Why are you so weak? Become one with me, and your power will go beyond even Gangrel's."_**

_"Dammit, you... thing. Just get out of my head. Sure, I want to kill Gangrel with overwhelming power, but I'm not submitting to you."_

"Gyahahaha!" he weakly laughed as he stood over me.

"Damn..."

"Guess this time, I get the last laugh," he held both swords and prepared to stab me.

"No, I... do."

"Urk!"

Chrom's Falchion pierced through his abdomen. The Mad King was immediately shocked from the blade protruding out of his chest. That shock soon turned to agony as Gangrel knelt to his feet. I saw Maribelle coming from behind me and used her Mend staff to heal me.

"You maggots will die like any... animal," Gangrel said with weak coldness, "...Alone. Rules of... Nature."

"Rules of Nature...?" I grabbed my katana and threw a finishing slice, "Only the strong survive. We're the strong. But even the strong need help."

I swung away the blood and sheathed my katana. While the Mend staff healed most of my wounds, I was still not at full strength. I was about to drop down into the ground, but Chrom caught me and helped me up.

"I'd be shouting at you right now," Chrom said coldly, "But we managed to bring back peace to both Plegia and Ylisse."

"...Yeah. I'm glad... but," I sighed sadly and sniffled.

"Something wrong, Alec?" Chrom's face showed concern for me.

"Sumia..."

"She's fine, Alec," Chrom said with a smile, "Olivia gave me the report directly from the Sage Fortress, she's in full health."

"Really?" I was smiling weakly.

"Really," I suddenly heard her heavenly voice.

Sumia had a series of bandages on her midsection from where Gangrel stabbed her. She used her spear to help her stand.

"Estella of the Pink Flames cannot die so quickly," she said with a wink, "As long as the dark lightning of Verdant Nocturne is inside her, there's no way she'll die easily."

"Er..." what she said was a bit uncomfortable.

"...Yeah, that's good to know," Chrom commented nervously.

I looked at the creepy mark I have. It seems to be some source of a frenzy. The mark glowed when Virion was enraged, but why? I fear that this mark might be my undoing. I may have brought peace, but I'm afraid that this sort of anger would affect my relationships with my friends. If I were to be in affinity with negative emotions, I think I might trigger this mark.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" Sumia asked.

"...No," I said with a smile, "We should get ready for our wedding."

"Yes."

"But first..."

* * *

**Morpheus's view. Cliff near the battlefield**

Hmmm. In my future, I've never seen him like that. According to Lucina, Gangrel would fight Alec and Chrom by himself, but I never knew that Aversa would join in. Well, if I wasn't there, I wouldn't have rallied Mustafa's forces and Alec would have been killed by Aversa. She's an extremely powerful magician, and she can use dark magic even as a Dark Flier.

"Marth..." I looked behind me to see the unmasked Marth.

"So you're the one who gathered Mustafa's troops," she said, "Don't call me Marth, now's not the time, Morpheus."

"Very well, Lucina," I responded, "Alec... he's quite a surprise, especially when he entered that enraged state."

Lucina seemed to glare at me from the mention of Alec. When I asked her about Chrom's death, she said his closest friend was the killer.

"... Alec seems to be very mentally unstable," Lucina said, "Can we trust him?"

My face was fully covered, so she couldn't see my facial expression shift. Under the veil, I raised a brow.

"Trust him. Of course. I believe he'll do well," I responded.

"...Hmph," she responded coldly, "Alec aside, who are you, Morpheus? Are your parents linked to the Shepherds?"

I looked into the skies, away from Lucina, and took off the bandages covering my mouth; my mask intact. I turned to Lucina and uttered a casual smile.

"Yes. And my name is..."

* * *

**Plegia Castle**

"Yes. Everything's going according to plan, Master Grima," a voice said in the shadows.

The sounds of heels were heard throughout the royal hallways. The lady clad in a scanty black dress strut through the halls like a fashion model.

"Master, I've come back~" Aversa said in her usual sultry tone.

"Oh, hello, Aversa," he covered himself in a veil. His tall and skinny stature was familiar to the Dark Avian.

"Master Validar, it's a pleasure to see you again," she did a curt bow.

Validar unveiled his hood and smiled eerily.

"Thank you, Aversa," he said in a fatherly tone, "I'm guessing Gangrel has fallen."

"Yes, Master," she replied, "A person in a veiled hood told me to help him, but a few of the supposed 'fallen' Plegian soldiers in the Midmire rose up and surrounded us."

"Ah, I see," he noted, "My hierophant has done well."

A teleportation circle formed beside Aversa, revealing an ugly looking sage in red clothing.

"Lady Aversa, may I intrude?" the purple haired sage said.

"You may, Excellus," she licked her lips as she nuzzled his chin. The sage seemed to not have the natural male attraction.

"I'm here to report on Valm," the sage replied, "Chon'sin is now under the empire's rule. We've ruled about 50% of the whole continent."

"Excellent news, urchin," Validar said with a smile, "Once Valm is fully conquered by Emperor Walhart, the Shepherds would obviously take action, and that's when we prepare to gather the Gems."

"I shall return Valm, now, I've a battle to look over," Excellus disappeared in a flash.

A dark aura was felt in the room. A hooded figure, clad in a similar robe as Alec, floated down the hall, visiting Validar.

"It seems that fate is going in order, Validar," the mysterious hooded figure said.

"Ah, welcome back, how was your meditation."

"It went well, father," the enigma replied, "Gangrel has fallen, I assume."

The figure looked at Aversa, giving the dark flier am uneasy feeling.

"You escaped. Good, you'll be needed for the tasks ahead."

"It's a honor to hear that, master," she replied with a smile.

The figure unveiled the hood covering its head. Validar smiled maliciously at the sight of his daughter.

"Sena... you're as beautiful as ever, even with Grima possessing you."

Her blonde locks were slightly messy and her face was beautiful and considered 'cute' by his past husband. She took off her coat and wore it like a cape whilst stretching her arms.

"Geez, father, I've no interest in your lecherous opinions," she said coldly.

"My my, you sure were a succubus by the time you got him to be your husband," Aversa commented.

"Enough with my looks. I want to talk about Alec."

"Who is he? He's linked to Grima, but where is your past self?"

"... I don't care. He started out weak, but he's strong for an alien, and that mental instability though," she licked her lips lustfully, "It's delicious. But there's one thing very interesting about him..."

* * *

**Grimstadt, Capital of Plegia**

I held a bird cage with Nestor patiently perching on the single stick inside it. Nestor is surprisingly tame for a crow. Plegia, for a country with a dark cult, is surprisingly civil. It's like I'm walking through a desert version of Ylisstol. Through the guidance of Mustafa, he showed me the address to Henry's house. I knocked on the door to his house. It opened, revealing a hooded figure in a purple cape similar to Tharja.

"Oh, greetings, stranger," he said playfully under that hood.

"You're Henry, aren't you?"

"Yes sir. Are you donating that bird to me?" he asked me.

"Yeah, Campari fell in war, and he told me to bring Nestor to a boy named Henry."

I handed him the bird cage and he giggled gleefully. I walked away from the boy and saw Sumia waiting for me with her pegasus ready. She was listening to my music with closed eyes and a smile.

"Wait!"

Henry caught up to me and stared at the girl through his veiled eyes... not that I could see them.

"Who's that? She's cute."

"Oh, that's Sumia, she's my soon-to-be wife."

"Oh, you lucky dog, this one time, in magic camp-"

"Let's save your life story sometime else, kid," I replied, "I have to go. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, buddy," he said gleefully, "Goodbye~"

That kid just seemed... eerie. I somehow just don't like him, but I don't want to.

I walked toward Sumia as she took off her headphones. She immediately embraced my arm and cuddled up to me. I smiled from her warm hug, and I drew her close.

"So, ready to go home now?" she asked in the sweet voice I grew to love.

"Yeah, let's go."

We flew out into the sky and caught up with the Shepherds heading home. When I ge- No. When WE get home, I'm going to start to prepare for her wedding. Anna, a merchant who has a sister guiding people through the Outrealm gate, told me of a beautiful beach paradise where we can relax and play. It's going to be perfect.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Morpheus came from the future with "Marth"... or another "Marth". He's the son of a certain silly man, but his name... I have no idea what it should be. Should I start a poll for his name? When I finished my ideal ships playthrough, I left poor Nah alone :(, so I made her a playmate (Morpheus). To start, he's NOT Carbon Copy Gerome. His usable weapons are only swords as a homage to the 1st Fire Emblem Wyvern Riders (I never played it).**

**I want the marks to have much more effects. The Grima symbol on MU's hand is just proof that he's bonded with Grima, but I wanted to go deeper with the "bond". Grima is a God of Destruction, and his influence can derange the emotionally unstable. So basically, the Grima symbol is a medium of "Grima Syndrome". Maybe I might make the Brand of the Exalt have something to do with the Aether skill or something.**

**As for Grima herself... Grima came from another future; the same one Lucina came from... but time shenanigans happened. If Grima is female in here, than that means that the MU in the era Alec is in still exists, but where is the real Sena?**

**That concludes the Plegia arc. The next arc will be a more light-hearted one: the Wedding Arc.**


	21. Life's a Beach

**Chapter 19**

Life's a Beach

**Author's Note**

**A special guest from another Fire Emblem makes an appearance.**

**Hotrealm beach/pool resort**

Thanks to Chrom, he helped me prepare the wedding in the "Hotrealm" as one of the Anna's say. It had been a month after Plegia, Ylisse, and Regna Ferox recovered from the war, and much to my surprise, Basilio and Flavia was eager to help in the wedding. The whole week had mostly been preparation in the "Hotrealm", but Sumia and I had other plans.

Because of the hot weather, I wore a white short sleeved button shirt with green designs, green shorts that reached up to my lower thighs, complete with black sandals. I wore a pair of those shades I bought with Lissa back then. I was waiting for Sumia to get out of the changing stall. When I looked at my fellow Shepherds, almost all of them were easily embarrassed.

Lissa had her hair down and wore a white one-piece swim suit. She played with a beach ball

Chrom's shorts were really short, as if he was wearing boxer briefs, and boy was he flustered.

Olivia was flustered wearing her special white bikini.

Frederick wore a short sleeved version of his dress shirt and he unbuttoned it, revealing his muscular chest and blue shorts. He still stood in his usual position and acted as the usual supervisor.

Ricken wore normal shorts with his family crest on the right part of his shorts. Because he was still kind of a kid, he was playing tag with Donnel and Nowi, with the latter wearing the same thing minus the cape, boots, and garterbelts.

Donnel took off his tin hat, letting his fuzzy purple hair flow freely. Due to the many experiences in war, his body has considerably toughened up, yet remained slender.

Virion still wore his cravat, and he wore swimming briefs, as if he wore underwear. I feel uncomfortable from guys wearing that.

His wife, Cordelia wore a blue frilly bikini, but being outside in that caused her to constantly cover her breasts as if she was holding up her bikini. I think she has A-cup angst.

Kellam stood in the water with swim trunks colored white, adorn with a yellow stripe. Though he's usually unnoticed by the rest of the Shepherds, he was carrying Sully on her back; the latter wearing a white one-piece swimsuit.

Panne replaced her usual armor with a purple bikini, with her lower bikini having a pink frilly skirt. She questioned why she wore the garbs, even after Cordelia insisted her to.

Gregor wore green knee-high shorts. His jolly smile is bigger than before.

Maribelle wore a pink one-piece swimsuit like Lissa and Sully and she used her parasol to block out the sun. Her husband, Vaike wore brown speedos, much to the horror of Maribelle.

Stahl and Lon'qu were talking, wearing shorts with color schemes similar to their armor.

Tharja wore a tight red bikini, with her boyfriend, Gaius wearing black swim trunks with candy designs. Tharja seemed embarrassed, but smiled eerily when she saw me eye her figure. Gaius didn't seem to like the lack of pockets his new threads have, as he's holding his candy storage in his hands.

Miriel wore a black bikini and she discarded her hat for this outing. She still wore her glasses and carried a purse containing notes.

Libra wore more conservative clothing, wearing a short sleeved white dress shirt with white shorts. He smiled gracefully from the joys of beach day.

The lifeguard was a bulky young man wearing a bandanna with a striped tank top and blue shorts. He sat on a very tall chair and wore a pair of shades that made it hard to distinguish his real eyes.

"Alec~" my wife called out.

I turned to her and outstretched my right hand to the side. Frederick passed me a small towel and I used it to wipe the sweat on my brow.

"So, how do I look?"

Sumia wore a purple bikini, which perfectly accentuated her fit but buxom body. What made her sexier was styling her brown hair into a ponytail. I dig ponytails.

"Well... uh," I was pretty nervous, "Y-you're very sexy. That's for sure."

"Gotta say, your wife looks very delicious," Gaius commented before being pulled back to Tharja by her hand pulling her ear.

"Heheheh, thank you, Alec," she covered her breasts.

"Hey, Alec," the lifeguard called out, "Come here for a second."

I walked up to Dart, as he's called. He says he came from Elibe, and right after a huge war, he was suddenly washed up here after his ship crashed while travelling with his wife. His wife works at the stall to sell beach souvenirs.

"What's up, Dart?"

"My wife usually sells this stuff, but I'll give you a free trial on these babies," he handed me a pair of water pistols, "And, I heard from ye little thief friend that you're the biggest mischief."

"Gaius?!"

Dammit, Nowi and him were the mischiefs. Whatever, this was going to be fun.

"But yeah, why me? Why not Gaius or the others?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Well, you remind me of a good ol' friend who did tactics. And from what I heard from Lord Chrom, you managed to lead all your troops not only to victory, but to safety. Ah, reminds me of the time young Mark told me to bring Farina by my side."

"Well, thanks, Dart," I said with a smile, "From the time I saw you, I already knew you'd be a cool guy."

"Have fun, friend. And don't tell anyone where you got the water guns."

I went to Sumia and showed her my guns... then showed her my water guns. She was quite inquisitive of my newly acquired toys, but I have a feeling that we're not the only ones with these water guns.

* * *

**A few sneaking around later. Beach area.**

Sumia is my support grenadier, holding a bucket of water balloons. I taught her how to use her Wind Tome aside from just blasting a gust of wind. She would use it like an artillery, with the water balloons being the ammo.

"Remember the plan?"

"Yep!"

"You got your tome, right?"

She held it with both hands and presented it to me. With a smile, I snuck up to my first prey: Lissa, the Prank Mistress. Utilizing the pockets on my shorts, I hid my water pistols in my pockets and approached Lissa.

"Hey, Alec, how're you doing?" she said as she waved at me.

"Oh nothing much," I knelt down to match her height, "Are you wet down there?"

"W-wha?" she said in surprise, "But aren't you wet down THERE!"

We brandished both of our water guns at each other. Both of us were surprised from our acquired wares.

"Where did you get that from?" she asked me.

"Where did you hide those water pistols?" I asked.

"In my swimsuit, duh?"

"Sorry, but I'm the fastest gun here," Both of us pulled out triggers, but Lissa was the first to be wet.

"Stahl! I'm hit! Prepare the heavy artillery!"

"Sumia, bombard the area!"

Stahl carried a larger water gun that needed two hands to handle. The water gun spewed an extremely powerful jet of water, enough to tear some dirt. I quickly ran away from it, only to avoid the water balloons about to drop on the field.

"Hold, friend," Virion revealed himself from behind a tree and aimed at me with a slingshot armed with a water balloon.

"Oh my gosh, are you affiliated with Lissa's Platoon?" I asked.

"No, I'm part of Cordelia's Confederacy," he said with a smile, "Now duck!"

"Huh?!" I quickly ducked and I saw the water balloon shoot through the air. The water balloon was headed toward Sully, who carried a belt of water balloons and a water gun similar to Stahl's, only lighter. Kellam leapt through the air and took the blow for his wife.

"I'm guessing Sumia made an alliance with Cordelia?" I said to Virion.

"Um, no," Cordelia was already behind me, aiming a water gun to my face. She had a confident smile on her face as she found me trapped.

"Have you forgotten I'm a Master Tactician?"

I used my left hand to swat her gun hand and threw a water balloon at her face. She backed away from the soak, but I heard a water balloon gliding through the air. Virion's marksmanship is powerful, and I already fall victim to the water balloon hitting my back. With the balloon hitting me, I dramatically fell to my knees as if I suffered a massive injury.

"Agh! You got me, but I'm not defeated yet."

I pointed up to the sky, with the couple looking to the skies. A salvo of water balloons filled the sky. I used this distraction to flee from the scene, but not before spraying some water on them.

"Nyahahahaha!" I laughed evilly as I saw Red and Blue get showered with rubber cases of water.

"You call yourself 'The Fastest Gun'?" a low voice said.

The voice came from Lon'qu, who held two small water pistols.

"Oh crap."

"The fastest blade can also mean he's the fastest gun, right?" Lon'qu smiled with grim confidence.

I put both water guns in my pockets, and Lon'qu did too, knowing the occasion. I smiled mischievously, as I looked to the bushes to my left. Sumia gave a thumbs up.

_If he's faster at drawing his gun, then I'll have to use my last water balloon to make a wall of water to block his shot._

"Draw!"

I used my left hand to pull out a water balloon. Lon'qu shot before I even threw it into the ground. The chilling water hit my chest, and as if I got shot by an arrow, I flinched from the impact.

"Hmph, even a childish person like you can't compete with the fastest drawer," Lon'qu said proudly.

"Victory requires... sacrifice."

Thanks to the lack of restraint in these shorts, I managed to do a back flip with ease and comfort. A series of water balloons pelted Lon'qu like a rain of arrows on an army of wyverns and pegasi.

"Thank you once again, Sumia," I said as I panted.

I saw Nowi run away really quickly, with Donnel and Ricken in her tail (she's not in dragon form as her stone got confiscated).

"Run! The Khan's are wrecking the water fight!"

Basilio and Flavia carried extremely heavy water guns. Basilio carried some sort of water gun with multiple nozzles confined together in a large barrel. As it fired water, it spun madly, spewing out water in rapid intervals. Flavia carried a water gun that fired a strong water bursts of three shots with a water balloon launcher underneath the barrel.

As with most of us, they wore fitting swimwear, with Basilio wearing speedos, and Flavia wearing a red bikini.

"Hehehehe! Kneel before us, pals!" Basilio said proudly.

"We're here to make a scene."

"Sumia! Operation Danger Close is a go!"

"You got it!"

Water balloons rained down the skies like a meteor storm. I charged toward the Khans with both of my water pistols ready. With a mighty battle cry, I jumped up high and aimed at both of the Khans before they could get a clear aim.

* * *

**A few minutes later**

Well, Farina caught us, and boy was she mad for us "borrowing" her water guns. She was nagging at her husband, Dart, who secretly stole them and gave it to the Shepherds.

Despite the confiscation, we were still allowed on beach and pool grounds. Everyone went back to their normal activities and conversation, while Sumia and I (with some Shepherds) went to the pool. I can swim on shallow water, but I get scared of extremely deep water. If I can see the bottom of a deep end part of a pool, then I feel confident, but if I don't, I'm very scared.

"Man, I think I just remembered how much I love swimming in such a warm sunny day," I said with a relaxed look.

I put on a pair of goggles that Dart personally kept (he's not lying this time, as he always hung it around his neck). I dove into the water and swam like through the shallow waters like a fish. Swimming is fun and refreshing... that is until I found someone's misplaced water pistol on the floor of the pool. Oh, this would be fun.

I managed to find Sumia's legs kicking the water. I rose up the water and pointed my water gun at her. My wife surprised me as she held two water guns.

"Don't worry, I legitimately bought these babies," she said with a smile.

"If I win, maybe you can make my babies," I smirked.

She blushed crazily from my reply. Her embarrassed look from my little jape made me laugh like a mad man. When I finally regained my breath, I dropped the pistol and lunged toward her, embracing her.

"What does it matter, we're wet anyway," I said with a smile, "I'm just kidding about the baby part, you know. We're not legally married yet."

A giggle came out from her mouth as she dumped me into the water. With a snicker, I grabbed arms and pulled her with me. I hugged her as she was closing her eyes to prevent water from staining her eyes. We rose out of the water and breathed deeply from that little dive.

"Who taught you how to swim?" I asked Sumia.

"Phila taught me," she replied, "When we're above the sea and if we somehow fell of our pegasus, we had to know how to return back to shore."

"I see,"

"Aye, I was the best swimmer in my team, pal!" Dart said as he sat on the edge of the pool.

"What were you back then?" Sumia asked.

"I was a mighty pirate before I crashed into this here resort," Dart said, "My wife and I were trying to look for treasure, but it seems like we're in a different place."

Typical pirate. Despite that, Dart is still a cool person to hang around with. A woman with short blue hair entered the pool area.

"Dart~, it's time we changed our shifts."

"Aye, Farina," he said as he stood up.

Dart left the pool area and entered the shack. Farina took her seat on the lifeguard chair and watched over the pool. The pool is quite large to be honest, and a good amount of people were lounging around the waters.

"I'll go take a drink, honey," I said as I emerged from the pool.

"Alright, honey."

I walked up to the shack and met Dart, who was running the shack at the moment.

"What will it be, lad?" he said in his usual energetic voice.

"Can I have the Hotrealm special Cola?" I asked.

"That will be 10 gold."

I juggled my money pouch with one hand and put 10 gold coins on the counter. Drinking the cola covered most of my frontal view. As soon as I consumed the beverage, I suddenly saw a barbarian and a warrior staring at me threateningly.

"Oi, what's a petite fellow doing here in this sissy playground?"

"Wait, Plegians? Dude, the war is over!"

"We're just hired mercs, but right now, we want some blood money... and the whole beach to ourselves."

"Oh geez, I hope you're ready to get knocked out."

"Lad, let me take care of it," Dart hopped into action with two Killer Axes on each hand, "Sometimes, a bunch of bandits or sell swords are here for a little brawl, and Farina and I double as bodyguards too."

The two bandits were instantly cut down by a certain holy sword. Chrom, now clad in his armor, sheathed Falchion and sighed.

"Shepherds, to battle."

* * *

**During the middle of the war.**

Well, here I am, with Sumia. We're both in gear, and luckily for us, Dart and Farina took care of some of the other bandits at the pool area. We just defeated a few brigands here and there, so we decided to take a break. I'm wearing only my armor underneath this golden breastplate, and as usual, I wore my Grandmaster cloak like a cape. Sumia took a break too, reading the book I gave her.

"Sumia, I see you're reading the book I gave you," I said, surprising the pegasus knight.

"Yeah, this really does deserve to be a best seller, you know."

"...Yeah, honestly, the only books I've been reading are mostly non-fictions; the classes of the soldiers in the army."

"Oh, but-" she was clearly distraught from the news.

"H-hey, it doesn't mean I hate the books you gave me. I actually loved reading them. They help me to write our stories and Verdant Nocturne," I said, comforting her distraught face.

"Oh, thank you, I really thought what I did was wrong. Y-you know, you, not being interested in my books and all."

Sumia sat between my legs and lay her head on my chest. I sat up and hugged her while both of us felt the wind of Tana's wing beats.

"So... um, hey, I wanted to kinda... um replicate a really romantic scene..." Sumia said with a cute smirk, "I really want to make a cute epilogue of the hero with his wife having fun at the beach."

I blushed and looked away in embarrassment.

"...Fun?..."

"I mean look at this place, Alec. It's so perfect for such a romantic scene. All those confessions, those juicy compliments..." she sunk deeper into my chest, making me feel quite discomforted. I think she read my face spot on, as shown through that grumpy face.

"Alec? Oh, I'm such an idiot!"

"S-Sumia?!"

"I guess you're just too committed to sex after marriage, huh?" she puffed her cheeks.

"H-hey, not right now, we're in a war here..."

"Y-you don't love me that much, do you?"

"Sumia, we're in a war, we can't just make a romantic scene right now."

She immediately ran away, but not before tripping on the sand. She immediately dusted off the sand and rode on Tana then flew into the air.

I sighed in defeat as I brandished my Rexcalibur tome. I swung my hand to the right, felling an approaching berserker to my right.

"Just... wait up, Sumia!"

* * *

**A few defeated bandits later**

Sumia sat on one of the beach chairs with the parasols, pulling petals of a flower. Oh man, she's doing her flower fortunes again. She was mumbling to herself, so I snuck in to hear what she's mumbling about.

"... Loves me. Loves me not."

"Sumia..." I said softly.

"Kyaah!" she hopped in fright from my sudden entrance.

"Alec! What are you doing here?"

"I came to console and to reconcile our relationship," I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess you were to caught up in the moment, right?" I said, "You know, with us about to be married and all."

"You kinda have a good point, in fact, you're the best at always being right," she said with a sad voice, "I mean, look at you. Even when Chrom was in low strength, you still managed to command him to both safety and victory. It's like you always know what's right, and it seems easy for you..."

"... Sumia, I guess you're feeling a bit left out, aren't you?" I said calmly.

With a sigh, she gave me her answer: "Yes. Ever since Cordelia, Lissa, and my other friends got married, they've been being very chummy with each other, always doing romantic gestures like kissing, going to shops, and going out to eat. Ever since I've had a break from repairing damages, you were at War Council with Chrom and also talking to the carpenters on our wedding. Cordelia even said that Virion took him out for the last few days, and... and."

She started sniffling as tears started to show. She stood up and dug her face into my chest. She was full blown bawling now, and I knew I should do something about my sweet pea.

"Look, I may be a busy man, but today, I'm putting your needs first. But we don't really have to be like Virion and Cordelia to have a good relationship. We've always had."

I closed my eyes and reminded myself of the times Sumia and I were together.

"Waking up together on the same bed, both of us cooking meals for each other, the time when you thought I cheated on you, the times where I'd scold you and vice-versa. Being close to you was what mattered. We're both happy, and that happiness makes me happier than kissing or what other lovers do because I can feel your heart close to mine."

"A..Alec..." she was welling up more tears as if she was a dam about to break.

"My point is that I love you no matter what, and being close to you is what matters..."

She immediately pounced on me, mounting me on the beach sands. She embraced me and discharged her tears on my chest. She chanted my name as if I was her deity that she worshiped on a daily basis. I'm no God; I'm her husband.

"Oh, Alec, I'm so sorry for being selfish. I'm really glad I married you and grew to love you."

"Love is being together no matter how harsh the storm is. As long as we're here to help each other out, we can overcome storms and be happy in peace, knowing we did it together," I said, "I'm sometimes a selfish person, but sharing moments like this is what makes me the happiest man in the world."

"Me too, Alec," she said softly as she inched her head close to mine, "Me too."

We pecked each other quick and stared at each other lovingly before going into another kiss. The latter was longer than the first one, and the primal feeling from the kiss during our proposal returned. I wanted to continue this wild sensation, but sense overcame primal instinct. I gently pushed Sumia off and despite the separation, we smiled softly. I think we both feel our senses return.

"Now, let's finish this battle so we can continue that kissing scene," Sumia said confidently, "But of course, it's not just for selfish reasons."

"Yeah, I want to continue too," I said with a smile, "Seeing you cute like this makes me remember that I married the cutest wife in all the realms."

"Oh, stop it, I'm not that cute," she replied with a curt giggle.

"Deny all you want, you're the only cute wife I'll have my eyes on," I chuckled, "Everything about you, even if you're clumsy or just not strong. I'll love everything about you with my all, and that's a promise."

"Oh, thanks, I'm so glad you love my perfect imperfections. I love you the same way."

With that, we got up and went to arms. This battle wouldn't take long. The thieves could be easily overcome by Sumia, who has grand skill, especially with the lance. With both of us together, this fight wouldn't last too long.

"Now let's go, Estella of the Pink Flames," I said in a dramatic voice, "Victory hinges upon us!"

* * *

**Somewhere away from public**

After the whole battle with the space hogging brigands, everyone returned to play on the beach as peace was restored... for now. The merchants allowed us to have a free stay in their inn. The rest of the other days were paid, courtesy of some of the Ylissean treasury (and "some" gold that Gaius stole off of zombie Plegian Elites).

Tonight, I feel like taking a bath. After that little swim... and that unnecessary war, I need some time to relax and chill. My sword arms ache from all that swinging and violence, so a well deserved break was needed.

*knock knock*

"Alec? Are you here?"

Should I let her in? Why not no? She's my soon-to-be wife.

"Yeah, it's unlocked," I replied.

She opened the door, revealing her in her stark naked form. I covered my eyes to respect her comfort until she enters the tub with me. It was large enough to fit around one person, but Sumia and I were a perfect fit, as she lay down on me. She played a gentle song: Lullaby of Open Eyes. The mere melody was already enough to give us a gentle smile. We lay there for a few minutes, absorbing the refreshing water and gentle music.

"Bathing is so refreshing, especially when my wife is with me," I said.

"Well, the battle has ended, so um," she turned to me, and as if coincidence, the music changed to a gentle romantic song, "You promised to continue the kissing scene, right?"

Her soft chest cushioned my war toned chest and her face was so close to mine. When I look into her eyes, it was a look of longing. She had a cute frown and her eyes were trembling gently as if she was on the verge of tears. I stroked her back, causing the beautiful brunette to moan in surprise. We both blushed from this sensation; the warm feeling in my face is proof.

"Please?"

"..."

Should I bump up the rating?

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Should I? I'm not putting up a poll for it, but I guess you can message me about it. Well due to a bunch of strikes happening in my school, the day I'm graced with my report card is gonna happen next week.**

**I decided to start a new game as a girl in FE:A. Who should I get myself hitched with?**

**The Valm arc will start in 1 or 2 chapters. And here's to 7.6k views. I've never had this much views in my entire life. If I reach over 50k views, I'm going to cry tears of joy.**


	22. Marriage

**Disclaimer: **Fire Emblem and its characters belong to Intelligent Systems.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Marriage**

Here I am. We waited patiently, but now this is it.

Sumia and I waited inside our room, dressed up in our wedding clothes.

I wore that special suit I bought the first time I went shopping Ylisstol. Sometimes, Lissa would tease me about marrying her while I wore this. Too bad for Lissa, she's not my bride.

"Are you thinking of something weird, Alec?" Sumia asked.

She sat down on a lush couch, wearing her beautiful white wedding dress. She let her hair down freely with the veil bonding with her brown locks. Her smile is as gentle as usual, relieving me of any nervousness.

"...Well, to tell you the truth, I remember I bought this suit during my first time shopping with Lissa," I replied.

"Heehee, if Stahl wasn't there, she would be your bride," she closed her eyes and widened her smile, "It's so nice to feel special for once. To love someone more than anything in the world, and to have them love me back."

"I feel special all the time when I'm with you," I sat down beside her and held her hands lovingly, "We're both big dreamers, and we're lovers of literary fantasy."

"Just hearing from you reminds me that all my firsts came from you," she said as she giggled playfully.

"Er...um, I don't know, what's one of my firsts with you?" I asked flustered.

"Well... you're my first true love, you're the first person I kissed, the first person to..." she smirked before finishing it, "...You know."

I sighed and booped her nose playfully. A gentle giggle was her response as she did the same. Though childish, we were mature enough to stop the moment we were even.

"But really, this is my first time ever getting married, and this nervous feeling is my first time."

"This will be the only time you get married," I said softly, "I don't want you to leave, because I can't bear the heartache of you leaving."

Just saying that made me feel emotional. I was about to shed a tear but Sumia embraced me lovingly.

"I promise to not leave you, Alec," she comforted me gently.

I embraced her back and pulled her in closer.

"There's no need to be nervous. I'm here."

I found myself giggling childishly. I have a huge urge to tease her right now, especially involving firsts.

"Hehe, after this marriage, I'm going to give you another first," I said with a suggestive grin.

"What may that be?" she said in mock curiosity.

"A child."

Her irises dilated in surprise, much to my amusement.

"I'm kidding, it's too early," I laughed before lovingly staring at her, "But that doesn't mean I don't want a family in the future."

"Future... with you, I already have a future set," she said confidently, "I promise to be as responsible as I could."

"...Yep!"

We stood up and we held each others hands. The door opened, revealing the priest: Libra.

"Come now, it's time."

* * *

**Beachside Pavillion**

Many people traveled through the Outrealm Gate to come to see Sumia and I get married. I saw Ylisseans, Feroxi, and even Plegians. Mustafa invited his family and had other generals with him like Vasto (who surprisingly survived the fall). I saw many others, like Donnel's mother, The Duke of Themis, and many more.

The Shepherds were honorable guests, and my best man was Chrom. He held the ring box delicately, but I see him sweating in an attempt to hold it firmly. My other two groomsmen were Virion and Stahl. Cordelia is the chief bridesmaid, with Lissa, and Maribelle as supporting bridesmaids. The person who played the organ was Frederick. As expected for a man prepared for anything, Frederick had exceptional skills in playing the organ. I also hired a certain musician for the after-party.

My eyes widened when I realized something.

_MY BACHELOR PARTY!_

Damn, my final chance of "freedom" is lost! Oh no, this is bad. I'm about to be married and I didn't have a Bachelor Party!

_**"Knock it off, Alec, you're about to be married to her. You missed your chance."**_

_"Great, are you affiliated with that female voice in my head during my fight with Gangrel?"_

**_"My name is Ash, I'm connected to you in some sort of way."_**

_"Great, I have Multiple Personalities Disorder, do I? "_

**_"Not really... but you should calm down, or you might press your berserk button."_**

_"My berserk button?"_

**_"Just calm down, or else everyone here will be like Virion during Gangrel's last stand."_**

_"What you're saying is kinda weird, but you might be right. I should calm the hell down."_

**_"Good, well... I don't know what to do with you at the moment, but one more question."_**

_"What?"_

**_"Will you miss me?"_**

_"I've only met you once, I don't have much of an opinion of you."_

**_"Just answer it, please?"_**

_"...Maybe? Sure."_

**_"Oh, really? Well, that's good. I have to get going. Have fun with your wife~"_**

I heard the sound of a door closing, even when there were no nearby doors closed. I took a deep breath and looked around me. Multitudes of seats were filled, waiting for me to be wed with Sumia. My beautiful wife held a lovely bouquet of flowers with the white veil covering her face.

"Alec Ostern, Grandmaster of the Ylissean army, do you take Sumia as your wife till death do thine part?" Libra asked me.

"I do!" my true last name is still unknown, but I feel like I should have a proper last name that involves the east. I feel my true last name has an affinity with the east.

"Sumia Ilia Panifica , Dark Flier of the Ylissean Army, do you take Alec as your lawfully wedded husband?'

"I do!"

"Very well," Libra closed his bible and smiled warmly, "You may kiss the bride."

No delay. I just rushed in and contacted her lips. She immediately embraced me as we both spun around before landing gently on the floor. Sumia tossed her bouquet up into the air as soon as our lips separated; many women attempted to grab it.

"Nowi wins!" the prepubescent-looking manakete grabbed it. Donnel, her boyfriend, blushed deeply from her suggestive smirk.

Chrom passed me the wedding ring box, and Cordelia passed her best friend her wedding ring box. We both took out the rings and put it on our fingers; ensuring a bond that cannot be undone.

"Love is in bloom," I said to her silently.

Everyone cheered loudly, and both of us relished in the uproar. We both smiled at each other before I carried her in my arms. My right hand held her back while my left hand carried her feet. We both walked through the carpet with the flower ladies throwing flowers out like confetti. These pink blossoms were cool and can be cool in certain scenarios (especially with dramatic wind).

When we went to eat cake, I was the only one who didn't want any. I ordered it for the sake of others than myself. I don't like cake. I requested massive amounts of corn though, so that made up for it, right? Nope, Gaius was also part of the food gathering project, and he brought many candies. My favorite one were brownies. Oh how I love brownies. I went to the brownies plate but a hand got there first. A woman's hand. I panned my head upward as I saw the lady. She wore a dress with a similar color scheme as my tactician robe. She had blonde hair that is in a "beautiful mess" of spikiness.

"Who are you? Who invited you?"

"Oh, I'm just a friend of Henry," she said with a smile, "My name is Sena, and congrats on your wedding."

"Thanks, Sena," I said with a polite smile, "So you live in Plegia?"

"Yep, I'm a pretty important person," she said with a silly smile, "I'm part of the Grimleal, you know."

"C-can we not talk about Grimleal?" I said nervously.

"Do you have something against us?" she leaned forward with a serious looking frown as her brow was raised.

"No, it's just..."

"Hey, I'm kidding, if you're uncomfortable, then okay, I won't," she had a tomboyish smile on her face.

"Are you single, or are you married?" I asked.

"I'm married, though my hubby is long gone," she said with a sorry look.

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said with an apologetic look.

She instantly shifted into a bubbly smile and leaned forward with her hands on her back.

"No worries, Alec," she said optimistically as she put her arm on my shoulders like I'm her brother, "When's the dance music gonna play?"

Sena is quite tomboyish and brash, kinda like a female Vaike... without all the 3rd person talk and "Teach"-ing. She may or may not have some femininity inside her, but I really don't care. I find her kinda weird.

"Are you familiar with the musicians? Because it won't be until late afternoon."

"Oh, well um, do you know who Ray is?" she asked.

"The violinist? He's a good friend of Jake, but he's also sporting my 'do," I looked at her intently, "How do you know him?"

"We're uh," she was a bit nervous, "Friends. Long distance friends."

"Where was he born?"

"Valm."

I nodded and looked at my hair. I should change my hairstyle.

"Well, it was fun talking to you, I'm going back to my wife now," I said.

"Okay, bye~," she said, "I think you'd look good in another style."

As I walked away, I realized that her tone was familiar. I looked at my right hand and that weird mark is still there. I looked at her right hand, suspecting she might be connected to me. No mark.

"Hey Alec!" Sumia greeted me as she waved her hand.

"Hey sweetheart," I replied.

We both embraced each other lovingly.

"Hey Alec, do you know how to dance?" she asked, "I went to Maribelle for lessons, and I'm pretty nervous about the slow dance."

"Heh, I took some teaching from the archest archer himself," I replied, "If we do this together, maybe it won't be such a bust."

I remembered my dance practice. Virion made me dance with a mannequin in the likeliness of Sumia (height wise).

"So, did you talk to anyone while I was eating?" I asked her.

"Well, I talked to Cordelia and Chrom," she said, "I teased them about being together."

"It's pretty damn obvious Cordelia has a crush on the prince," I said shaking my head, "Too bad she just immediately accepted that they can't be together."

"How sad," she replied, "But Virion is a caring husband from what I have heard."

"Yeah, he's a good friend of mine too."

"Hey, Alec, this wedding is going fine, it seems," Chrom cut in.

"Hey Chrom, broke anything lately?" Chrom chuckled at my joke.

"No, I've been being very careful lately, especially with Olivia and Lissa looking after me," he said.

"Hey Chrom, you think that you might have the hots for Olivia?"

"The hots?"

I formed a heart shape with my hands, but Chrom didn't get it. I did the finger through the hole action, and he still didn't get it.

"Never mind, time will tell," I concluded.

"Speaking of time, found anything to do now that the war is over?" Chrom asked.

"Hmm... I'm planning to find a job to provide income for my family," I said, "I don't want to be doing tactician work for 2 years."

"I understand, Alec. We both have similar burdens," he replied, "Being Captain of the Shepherds isn't easy, and you being a tactician and coming up with a plan that ensures everyone's survival is very hard."

"Yeah, the soldiers have extremely high expectations of us, and if we don't meet it, we could lose not one, but probably all the members."

"Now that Emmeryn is dead, I have no choice but to become the next Exalt, but I need someone to lend me a shoulder to lean on when times are tough."

"Well, I'm your friend, I'll be here to offer some help. There's also Frederick, Lissa, and a certain dancer."

"Dancer?"

"C-Chrom, do you want some juice?" Olivia said beside the wily lord.

Chrom saw the pink haired dancer shyly present a glass cup of juice. He accepted her offer and thanked her. Olivia blushed madly while also silently giggling to herself... a bit frantically.

"Well, I'm going to help the musicians set up," Chrom said, "Have a fun time, you two."

Chrom walked away, leaving Sumia and I alone in the crowd of guests. We both facepalmed from his density.

"How can Chrom not realize she likes him?"

"And I fell in love with him?" Sumia said.

I know what she said doesn't matter. We're married, and marriage is a serious commitment; a point of no return. I may or may not be ready for the trials of marriage, but all I know is that I'm going to take responsibility. Wise words from Kyo Konata in the teenage novel: My Little Sister can't possibly be this adorable. Though the ending with him ending up with his sister was kind of expected. I really hope I don't have incestuous kids in the future.

When my wife and I took our hands off our heads, we both laughed from our little comments on Chrom's density. I grabbed a pitcher of cola and a glass in which I poured the beverage into. I drank the cold drink and breathed out in relief.

"Um, Alec, did you order champagne or anything?"

"Champagne? Well yeah, but I'm not drinking that."

Did I mention that I have a little code that goes against drinking? I always like to have a mind clear of "poisoned" consumables.

"Oh, I see," she replied.

"I wouldn't suggest you drink alcohol at this moment, considering we're about to do a dance."

* * *

**Dance Hall**

The person I hired to handle music was Jake, the husband of Anna from the Shepherds. He's a musician that travels around the Outrealms and has gathered a band of misfits into his own band.

Jake plays an enchanted guitar that can play bizarre sounding guitar notes.

Ray is a violinist and is apparently married to a dancer.

Emilia is the pianist. She's also an artist and married to a thief.

Anna played some sort of four-stringed guitar.

Josh, an athletic young man from a distant realm played the drums.

The song I requested Jake to play was "I Do It For You". I told him in advance and he practiced it.

"Are you ready, Sumia?" I said to her softly as I held her hands lovingly.

She nodded nervously. The music began. She was looking away nervously.

We swayed slowly to the soft piano. Sumia's nervousness diminished as I stared at her with a loving smile. Jake started to sing the lyrics.

"Just be in the moment," I whispered to Sumia, "No one's here; just us."

When I heard my own words, it felt like time slowed down around me. I set my eyes on Sumia. She blushed madly and was about to gaze away from me. I kept my gaze on her face, knowing very well that I love her very much. The steps started a bit rocky, but my initiative managed to help Sumia be in sync with me. She's still nervous and it's sometimes hard for her to gain some confidence. I saw Sumia close her eyes and breathe deep. She slowly opened her eyes shortly and looked at me with serenity.

The music changed. Only the piano played for a while. Wait, this is Serenity! Ray began to play the violin. I had a face of deep surprise. How did Jake know about this? Did he listen to my whole soundtrack? Sumia's gentle doll-like smile showed her increased confidence.

"Alec," she said sweetly, "I love this song."

"...Yeah, me too."

I shouldn't wonder how Jake knew. It's just Sumia and I, dancing together. As the song reached its end, its soft gentle end, I outstretched my arm, letting Sumia twirl out like a party blower then she twirled back in and she leaned backward while I leaned forward. I held her with a strong yet gentle grip, keeping my wife balanced and safe. When she stood on her two feet, she stretched her hand to the sky with our hands still held together, twirling around until her back touched with my chest. She lowered her arms again, making it look like I'm embracing her lovingly. I gently absorbed her soft gentle body in a loving embrace. A cute giggle was her response.

The crowed roared in amazement. The dance was apparently well done, even if we did practice with different music. It was all about using the right techniques at the right time, I assume.

"Alright, now let's get the real party started," I shouted, "Hit it, Jake!"

Ray played a slow starting note. It lasted for a while and then the beat started playing.

"Baby, Love never felt so good..." Jake sung.

Everyone danced as the Outrealm band of misfits played "Love Never Felt So Good". Everyone started freely dancing to the alien yet jovial beat.

Everyone danced with their wives or girlfriends. We kept on dancing and dancing like it was our last, but Sumia and I didn't stay for long. The carriage to our hotel room awaited us and Chrom and the Groomsmen as well as Cordelia and the Bridesmaids awaited us by the entrance.

"Thanks, Chrom, I promise to be a great best man on your wedding," I said as I patted his shoulder.

"You are the Master Tactician after all," Chrom complimented.

As men, we both embraced each other in a brotherly fashion. I saw Cordelia hug her best friend too as if they're sisters. We entered the carriage and sat down next to each other. The beautiful brunette cuddled up to me, amusing me from her comfort.

"Thank you for such a great wedding," she said gratefully.

"Being best friends with the Prince has its boons," I said with a smile.

"Being close to you makes me realize how beautiful you are in heart and soul."

"I may be beautiful, but I'm not flawless," I said, "Even if we're not, you're beautiful as you are in both soul..."

She moaned sharply from my hands touching her bare arm. I stroked it gently and my face started to heat up. Sumia started to blush, but not with a surprised face, but a soft look.

"...And body," I smirked suggestively

"Alec..." she moaned softly.

"This is why I didn't want to do it that time," I said softly, "Now that we're married..."

I stroked her shoulders now. She moaned louder from the feeling of my hands. She tried to resist her carnal desire as seen through her locked look. She then threw herself, free from the shackles of nervousness, into a deep kiss. Her legs clamped my waist as she pinned me down on our seat and continued to clash her tongue with mine. It lasted shortly as she pulled her head away from me.

"Sumia... you're being so... forward," I commented.

"With you by my side, I feel stronger and more confident," Sumia said with an adventurous and lecherous grin.

We continued this passionate make out session for the whole trip. As time passed, my hands would go closer to her chest, inevitably going to the point of me touching her soft bosom. We did take breathing breaks every now and then, but our fervor for each other would grow more and more as we separated. Sumia may seem submissive, but the war has toughened up her self-esteem and confidence in battle. Also, she feels much more confident and headstrong with me by her side according to her. Sumia's a sexy as well as a woman with strong potential and talents.

The carriage stopped at our location, and I grabbed hold of Sumia and carried her into our room. We giggled to each other lecherously as we closed the door. This will be a fun and passionate night; a night that makes the idea of a bachelor party unnecessary.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**I'll keep Temporal Curse T-rated, though I do have a lemon chapter in the works. I have a poll for where should I put it. I really want to post it, but I'll let you, the reader(s) decide.**

**As you all know, I'm not dead. I'm still Forlornfreund, but I changed my name to better suit me and my writing style.**

**Reasons for delay are because of my conflicting ideas for the music. I had a hard time finding a way to describe the dance moves, and I wanted the dance party to be longer, but I found no good reason to extend it. Just writing Jake singing the lyrics feels dumb. As short as it is, I want to just listen to the song and imagine the party-goers dance.**

**I'm still trying to put the finishing touches on my resume, meaning I'll be on a job hunt soon.**

**Speaking of job, I'm starting to play LoL again, as well as trying to go through Chapter 2 of Lunatic mode. Damn, I wish I could just get my Sigurd's Lance right now so Frederick's silver lance doesn't break.**

**So, the Valm Arc will begin next chapter. I wanted to write a ChromxOlivia wedding arc, but I want action right now. Morpheus's real name has yet to be decided.**

**I've been loving the manga/anime Nisekoi. It's hilarious as well as having a very interesting mystery. For you people who watch/read it, I really want Raku to be with Onodera. I thought that Onodera would be the sort of Manami(Oreimo), but she's way cuter and is not "normal" like her. Chitoge may inevitably be Raku's ultimate choice, but... I don't know. I really want Onodera to grow a pair and just tell Raku her feelings. Freaking generic dense harem protagonists...**

**So yeah, leave a review if you feel like spouting out what's on your mind on this. I'll see you... probably next week. I might have to update only once a week.**


	23. What is it good for?

**Disclaimer:**Fire Emblem is not owned by me blah blah blah.

Also, Alec has changed his hair to 02.

Also 10k views achieved X3.

I'd like to thank you guys for supporting this fiction. I don't have anything else to say but thank you for reading this.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**What is it good for?**

2 years had past. I swung off the dirty blood of a Grimleal zealot who attempted to invade a small village in Ferox. Gregor chuckled to himself as he sheathed his blade from a job well done.

"Heheheh, Gregor thinks job was done well," he said with a jolly tone.

"I just need some money like you too," I said to Gregor, "If I want to raise the family, I have to be prepared for my expenses.

I wore the armor and clothing of a Swordmaster. I modified my outfit a bit. While most of the Swordmasters would wear a gi underneath a sleeveless fur vest, I wore a white dress shirt with my sleeves rolled up to the middle of my biceps. The pauldrons that they usually wear were still retained. Instead of wearing gauntlets, I wrapped black ribbons on my forearms in a criss-cross design. I wore grey fingerless gloves with metal studs on the knuckles. I wore a pair of grey slim pants with black boots. Finishing my outfit was a large black coat that reached up to the middle of my thighs which I mostly wore like a cape. I have three sword scabbards on my waist: my Killing Edge I named Belial, Alm's Blade in which I brought to a forge and named Andras, and another Killing Edge on my left waist called Orobas.

"Same as Gregor," the swell sword replied, "Helping Taguel wife in living in human world is hard job."

Gregor now wore the armor of a Hero. He now has much more armor, mostly covering his upper body. The shield he wore on his left shoulder has now evolved into a large shield covering his left arm. He equipped a Silver Sword.

"Justified manslaughter for gold seems like something most man-spawns would do with rare creatures like me," Panne said as she wiped her Killing Edge.

To better improve Panne's Taguel form's strength, I suggested she should use a Second Seal to become a Thief. She trained in swordplay for a whole year, eventually becoming a powerful amateur Assassin. She wore a v-neck sleeveless top with a long scarf wrapped around her neck. She wore blue pants with brown boots; kunais latched on to her thighs. Her vambraces were lined with curved blades.

"Yet these criminals do bad, so Gregor take on job," he said with a smile.

"I could care less about the gold, as I want to grow stronger for the Warren," Panne replied with a smile "But I also want to grow strong for you, Gregor."

With a jolly laugh, he wrapped his arm around Panne's neck in a loving embrace. Panne stayed cool, only showing a gentle closed smile.

I decided to work as a mercenary with Gregor and Panne. Chrom would give us information of people seeking favors or direct information from Chrom himself. We've done bodyguard duty, assassinations, as well as village defending. The time when Gangrel defeated me, I fought him in a berserk state. To make money as well as strengthen my sword mastery, I took on Chrom's offer for mercenary work. We'd rarely have job offers, but killing or defending extremely important objectives gave us large sums of money. Sooner or later, maybe I might find a legal job that doesn't involve killing.

"I sense something," I exclaimed.

Both my fellow mercenaries prepared for battle. Risen Cavalry were charging from all sides, holding silver lances. They were being lead by a Grimleal priest, who was in Paladin armor. He equipped a silver sword.

"Durma and his forces got beaten by you three?" the paladin questioned, "Well, looks like the cleanup crew is here."

I unsheathed both Orobas and Belial and charged toward the leader.

"Panne, Gregor, I'll take care of the leader, can you handle the rest?"

"Gregor fight group of horsemen once, so yes."

"Leave it to us."

The paladin charged forward and prepared to swing at me while his horse galloped toward me in deep pursuit. I hopped up toward his level while rolling forward, blades outward. We both clashed swords momentarily before I skidded on the snowy grounds behind him. I heard armor clattering behind me as well as armor banging; the sound of a cavalry preparing for a stab. I simply leaned back, letting the lance blade hover over my chest. I saw the cavalier and stared at him through that helmet. I took a step backward with the foot that faced the cavalier. I spun around and faced him in the same orthodox sword stance and hopped toward him. When I was above his head, I planted my foot on his head and jumped into the air. I dropped down into the ground and sliced the cavalier with both swords, killing him instantly.

"Gotcha!"

I turned back and saw the paladin about to charge at me with a lunging attack. I swung both blades and clashed with his silver sword, giving out little orange embers of sparks from the friction of metal. When we both recovered from the recoil, I sheathed both of my swords and went into fighting posture. The horse attempted to headbutt me, but I dashed to his left and attempted to slash his weaponless arm with my left hand sword. He used his shield to guard the strike. I spun my left hand sword until it was dagger-grip and stabbed his horse. The horse winced painfully from the sudden stab wound. Still grabbing on, I swung myself forward and clenched his arm with my legs I grabbed my other sword and used my position to his exposed neck with my sword. With a beautiful arced swing, the paladin quickly fell. His arm fell limp and I quickly landed on my feet despite the short height.

I found myself terribly exhausted. I shouldn't do fancy flips and sword moves right after I did it on an army of almost 30 troops. Gregor and Panne wiped their brows from the battle well won. A series of Grimleal cavalier corpses surrounded us; their blood staining the pure white snow. The Taguel assassin sniffed the air, sensing for any enemies around.

"We're safe," Panne said as she sheathed her katana, "Let's go back to the village."

We decided to walk back to the village, having done a job well done.

* * *

**Local Tavern**

After receiving our pay, Gregor invited me to the local tavern to unwind. Panne stayed at the Inn we stayed at, watching over our weapons and armor. She said she'd rather stay in the Inn rather than go to a place full of man-spawns. Gregor ordered a mug of ale while I ordered a mug of fruit punch.

"So, Alec, why did you wear Swordmaster garbs?" Gregor asked before swigging a mug of alcohol.

"I noticed that my strength is higher than my magic power, so I decided to expand my sword skills," I said.

"You always talk tactics and battle," Gregor said in a whiny voice, "Why you not drink some ale?"

"I don't drink alcohol," I replied as I gulped down their special fruit punch.

"Oh, are you still young? But don't you need to be adult to marry?" Gregor replied.

"I'm 20, Gregor, pretty much the minimum age of marriage," I said.

"You're minor, no?"

"You can say that, but I still don't wanna drink."

"Why not? You just went through bloody battle. Is good to get drunk and forget all of them."

"That's why I feel anxious, I-"

I suddenly felt someone punch my back. A drunk man who stood 6 feet towered over me threateningly with the glare to match.

"I hate *hic* kids. Why do they allow kids *hic* inside here?!"

"And this is why I don't drink," I said to Gregor calmly, "Now if you'll excuse me."

I grabbed the stool and swung it at his face, angering the drunken man further. Fighting a drunk person is somewhat unpredictable, but a tactician like me who went through two years of battle knows how to read moves. He was about to throw an overhead hook at me, so I stepped to his right and threw a body blow. The drunk man backed away slightly and put up his dukes. The local customers saw us and encouraged both drunk guy and I to fight. I heard some comments about me challenging the drunk man.

"Are you sure you wanna fight him? He's Muscly Mike, one of the strongest brawlers in the village."

"Form a circle, boys," a snide man said, "We're putting money on who's gonna win."

He held up to jars. One was for Muscly Mike, the other was for me.

"Can the strongest brawler face the mercenary leader that fought two large waves with only his small squad?" a woman said.

"Well, let's assume they're both drunk."

"I'm not drunk!" I shouted.

"Bring it on, little man."

"Hold my jacket, Gregor," I passed him my coat and faced Muscly Mike.

"You sure, you can win?" Gregor asked worriedly.

"Yeah, according to his parameters, he lacks skill and speed."

We both raised our fists and strafed to the right, indirectly forming a circle. I extended my left hand forward and did a beckoning gesture. Surprisingly, he charged forward with a dash. He threw a quick straight punch which I guarded with both arms, but it hurt my arms quite a lot. I ducked down and charged forward and threw an uppercut at his exposed chin. He flinched backward and got into fighting position as if he didn't get hurt. He attempted to throw an overhead smash with his fist. Though the start-up time was long, but the destructive force was horrifying. The fist basically tore through the flooring, causing a small quake. I saw his exposed back and threw a powerful dropkick to it. He was knocked down into the ground, but he still got up angrier than ever.

"Graah!"

He ran toward me quickly and threw a powerful tackle. He pinned me to to the wall and was reeled in his free hand for a fist. I bent both of my feet and kicked his chest. He backed away, letting me go and causing me to land on my butt. When I tried to get up, he was already charging at me with alarming speed. He attempted to throw a powerful straight that tore through the wall, completely missing his mark. The crowd gasped at his power. I had to end this before I get even more hurt. When he got his arm out of the wall and turned to me, I threw a powerful body blow that fazed him momentarily. With his back arched backward, his head was at a good level to continue punching continuously.

"This is the part where you scream!"

I reeled my fist far and threw a powerful hook at his head. I threw another one with my other hand, repeating the one-two punch combo over four times in quick succession. Finally, I finished it off by sliding backwards and throwing a powerful straight into his head, launching him into the wall, effectively knocking out the competition. Good thing I was wearing my studded knuckles, or else my bare knuckles would hurt from doing all those fists.

"I like a good fight, but I want to relax right now."

Applause was heard from my victory of the supposed drunken berserker.

For the last few years, I've been in little bar fights like this. I remembered finding a drunk man who beat me in a fist fight, not through luck, but skill. Though drunk, he was actually a famed fist fighter in Ferox. I stayed for a month under his tutelage and he said I was one of his most enthusiastic fighters. While I was enthusiastic and managed to get some of his moves down, I was considered "average" in strength. His name was Garcia, a hardened man who was previously one of Ferox's mightiest generals but has retired peacefully. He has a son around my age and is one of the strongest axe fighters in the military. While most Feroxi are followers of some sort of "survival of the fittest" code, Garcia was a nice and patient guy.

"Oy, you grow stronger ever since you fight me in fist fight," Gregor commented, "Want a go?"

He put up his dukes, waiting for my answer. I put on my coat and told him to follow me. He let out a friendly chuckle as he pat me on the back (a bit harshly). I put a sack of gold on the counter before leaving. While Gregor was drunk, he had enough power to control himself through intoxication.

The Feroxi cold embraced us once again as we exited the bar. Despite the way I wore my coat, I was humid underneath my mantle. Gregor's nomadic experiences made him accustomed to many temperatures. Age has blessed him with sword skills and adaptation to all environments.

As we headed home, the Taguel assassin ran up to us with a message. The scroll had the Ylissean royal crest on it.

"Gregor, Alec, I've received a message from the Exalt," she said.

"Let's see what it reads," I grabbed the letter and opened it.

_Alec,_

_Meet me at the Feroxi palace as soon as possible. This is a very important meeting and the Shepherds might have to be called to arms once again. Be safe in your travels._

_The Exalt, Chrom Yllssea_

"Brief, but this sounds important," I said to myself.

I turned to Gregor and said: "Looks like mercenary work is over... for now."

"Gregor want retirement with large sum of money," he sighed, "Yet matter sounds serious, so Gregor must answer call."

"I'm loyal to the Royal Family for what they've done. I shall answer this call of duty for the sake of my clan," the Taguel woman said with a cool smile.

They went on ahead to the caravans leading to home. I put my hand in my pocket and grabbed the charm Sumia gave me. It was a brooch that took the shape of a daisy. I looked up into the sky and imagined her smiling face welcoming me home.

"I'm coming home."

* * *

**Alec's House**

Ever since I got married to Sumia, we settled down in a not-too large house nearby the Ylissean palace in a field of flowers. Whenever I don't have mercenary work, we'd spend time together. Cooking, gardening, taking care of Tana and other pegasi, and other things. Last year, we finished our novel and decided to present it to the public. It had positive acclaim and according to a famous reviewer: "It was quirky, cute, and while humorous, presented interesting story elements."

While it was loved, we weren't really full-time novel writers, though I did write notes on my journeys around the Continent of Ylisse. Sumia worked in an animal shelter, taking care of stray dogs and cats alike as well as pegasi and horses.

I came home, introduced by Sumia, wearing a red apron. She wore a pink shirt with a white skirt below. She wore pink slippers and was cooking a meal.

"Hello, Alec, how was your travels?" she asked.

A big yawn came out of my mouth before speaking.

"It was tiring, as usual."

I walked to our bedroom and changed into casual clothes. I took off my pauldrons, my swords, my ribbons, my gloves, and my combat boots. I changed into the same beige shirt I wore when I came here and put on the same blue pants. I put on a pair of casual boots to finish it off.

I sat on the dinner table and smiled as she prepared me my meal. She's a much better chef than me, but she prefers vegetarian meals. Today, she cooked spaghetti, a special pasta dish that she learned to cook from the Hotrealm. I really love her spaghetti because its sweet and tender.

We sat across from each other; both of us being on opposite sides. Despite the distance, I could stare at her without having to turn my neck.

"Ahh, I always love your spaghetti, Sumia," I said with a jolly smile.

"I really love this ingredient," she said, "I like it better than having to cook meat."

"I like meat dishes, but this is my favorite not-too-large-on-meat dish."

We both continued to feast on the spaghetti until our bellies were full. We talked about what happened during our jobs. Sumia seemed a bit stressed, especially when I'm not there. I'm as tired as her due to the amount of energy I used to fight not only two waves of Grimleal zealots, but an infamous brawler. Both of us had a satisfied smile on our faces from the clean plates we left.

"So, you've received the message from Chrom, I'm assuming," Sumia asked.

"Guessing you did too?"

"Yep."

"We should head tomorrow with Cordelia," Sumia said.

Sumia had an unsure look on her face. I can tell that she really doesn't want to fight another war.

"You seem bothered," I said as I noticed her hesitant look.

"Well, for the last two years, I've been working with animals and never picked up my lance," she replied with worry, "I thought it would be all over once Gangrel fell, yet now, another war is starting."

I stood up and sat next to her, giving her some comfort.

"I kinda don't want to go to war again too, love," I said to her with a similar tone, "I'd not go, but it's a direct order from not only our Exalt, but our friend."

"I... just don't want to spill more blood now," she said somberly, "I thought world peace was achieved."

I held her hands tenderly and looked at her with an encouraging smile.

"Remember that I'm the tactician, Sumia," I reminded her, "If we can win a war against another kingdom with all of us going home safe, then I sure know that I can do it again."

Sumia's frown turned upside-down from my encouragement. She looked at the window and realized it was late.

"Let's go to sleep, honey," she said as she walked to the bedroom with our hands still interlocked.

We both headed to our bed and lay down with each other. The soft cushion of the bed plus the warmth of the blanket eased us of our stress and sleep could come in seconds. We stared at each other for a while; tired looks on our faces.

"Hey, Sumia, when do you think we'll be ready to have a family?" I asked out of the blue.

"What are you talking about? We have a family," she replied.

"No, I mean us having kids," I had a flustered look in our faces.

"Ever since those two years of peace, we've been doing it, but you're always so anxious about me getting pregnant," she said, "Although, I was actually nervous myself."

"You always said to do it outside," I said, "Or was it me?"

"It was you."

We both yawned momentarily before chuckling from her comment. Our marriage has been steady, though Sumia sometimes nagged me for going to extremely dangerous places while I did mercenary work. Sometimes she'd complain about the amount of housework she does while I'm away for prolonged periods of time as well as the possibility of me cheating. Regardless, we've managed to reconcile many times, and up to this day, we're still intimate. No girl is as beautiful as my wife, and I'll never cheat on her.

"If we did have kids right now, we might not even return to take care of them," she said anxiously, "Also, I want US to raise our child."

"... Or children," I smirked.

She giggled and pecked my lips curtly, causing me to smile giddily.

"When we have a child, I'll find a real local job so I can see you every day," I said softly.

Sumia put her finger on my mouth and made a "shh" sound.

"Let's sleep, a big day is ahead of us."

"Love ya~."

"Love you too, honey bunch."

For the two years, Sumia's confidence in herself is growing. She trips momentarily, but she recovers from it with much more poise and maturity. She starts to not doubt herself more and is much more eager to assist in work. But that confidence also meant something much more scarier. When I said I would secure our financial stability with mercenary work, she nagged at me to not go and spend the time of peace doing normal work. Sure, I love peace and all, but I like defending it. My excuse to actually become one was because of my weakness during my fight against Gangrel. I needed to grow stronger and not rely on this little mark's "syndrome". Also getting paid money from not only cleaning crime, but growing stronger is basically a win-win. I've faced powerful leaders, and I've been in some near-death situations during my trips, but through not only my smarts, but my allies, I made it (sometimes barely).

The true reason why I didn't get her pregnant was because of a dream I had after our marriage. The Shepherds and I would face a powerful nation bent on conquering the world. I not only saw a great knight with a powerful axe, but multiple portals with eerie auras. I've had dreams where I saw my fellow Shepherds die, and it felt realistic.

* * *

**Feroxi Palace**

Almost all the Shepherds were here; Virion was away. We talked to each other, wondering how everyone's lives were during the two years.

Tharja and Gaius settled in Plegia, acting as vigilantes. While Gaius was a bit more heroic, Tharja antagonized the criminals terrorizing their home town, much to the discomfort of Gaius.

Stahl worked as a sort of commander in the army, with Lissa being the main healer.

Sully was also a leader of another battalion with Kellam, the unseen shield working tirelessly with his wife.

Virion wasn't here for some reason, but Cordelia arrived. The latter filled Phila's position as the captain of the Pegasus Knights.

Vaike and Maribelle worked together to give equal rights to the citizens of Themis. While Vaike found Maribelle's job boring, his lively attitude and encouraging words helped Maribelle work harder.

Ricken and Miriel were the lead scientific brains and through their hard work, managed to replicate my phone completely. As promised, they wouldn't commercialize them.

Donnel and Nowi temporarily returned to the farm, but Nowi insisted that they explore the world with Gregor and his wife. Donnel accepted only one or two trips then settled in the farm when trouble wasn't brewing. Speaking of trouble, the bandits now feared the hardened Donnel, especially when fighting alongside Nowi.

Chrom eventually married Olivia. I was his best man during his royal wedding and according to him, I was a better best man. Chrom had to deal with political issues and Olivia gave him the much needed shoulder to lean on whenever he was troubled.

Lon'qu was the only one without a wife, and he was somewhat fine with it. But Lon'qu is one of my strongest fighters as well as my closer friends.

"Shepherds!" Chrom shouted.

"I'm glad you have gathered here. We have grave news from Valm. The Valmese have launched a conquest throughout their whole continent and have took over their last objective in Valm: Roseanne."

"Roseanne?! Is Virion okay?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes, Cordelia, in fact, he's coming here now."

Virion walked through the hallways with a pink haired woman clad in armor. He had a worried look, while the pink haired woman had a stern look. For some reason, I feel like I'm somehow connected to her. Wait, that's Cherche. According to him, she's the most charming retainer he had. So, why didn't he marry her? What she's wearing is pretty much sex appeal in the battlefield. Looks like Lon'qu has got a playmate. Too bad I forgot about my journal.

"Oh, so you're Cordelia," Cherche said to the red haired pegasus knight.

"So you're Cherche?" Cordelia replied as she shook her hand, "How come you've never made a move on my husband? Where were you while we were fighting Gangrel?"

"Well, I'm his retainer, and I had to watch over Roseanne while he was away," the pink haired lady said.

Both of them seemed to be in good spirits. I expected a sort of love triangle, though I can tell Virion expected one too.

"So, what happened in Roseanne, Cherche?" I asked the retainer.

"Well-"

"Walhart's forces invaded our land," Virion cut in, "When he cut down all our forces, I ra- er came here to gather reinforcements."

"You ran away," Cherche, Cordelia and I said simultaneously with a matching disbelieving expression.

"Either way, now that they've taken over Valm, they're headed to Ylisstol to conquer it too."

I looked at a map supplied by Virion. Valm was as big as Ylisstol, and Walhart conquered that whole continent in two years.

"Do you have any info on the enemy units, Virion?"

"Valmese forces are terrifying, Alec," he said with a fearful look, "They mix brutality with mobility and defense. They have plentiful amounts of horseback warriors as well as seasoned warriors like berserkers, paladins, and great knights. They say Walhart is so strong, that he can face a whole army by himself."

"Such strength could easily earn the respect and fear of lesser warriors," I said, "So, which harbor did you arrive on?"

"I arrived on the Feroxi harbor," Virion said, "It's safe to assume they've followed me here."

"In fact, Raimi said that the Feroxi Harbor had Valmese presence approaching," Chrom added, "We're to head there immediately."

* * *

**Feroxi Harbor**

"Looks like we're surrounded," Chrom commented as soon as we found our small group of warriors circled by knights.

"Well, then, good thing we have some good anti-armors and anti-cavalry weapons from our last war," I commented, "They've got a large force surrounding us. We'll have to create a small defensive formation before moving forward."

I summoned Orobas and Belial and entered fighting position. Sumia fluttered the pages of her tome before holding it in ready position. My small force was ready to take on the group. Luckily for me, Cherche joined in the battle on her wyvern, Minerva. She's quite strong for a woman and she already has a hammer ready.

"I'd like to join, Alec," she said with a battle ready smile, "This may not be my country, but it's my cause too."

"I trust you're strong, Cherche," I said, returning the same confident smile, "Lon'qu, can you assist Cherche?"

"... Fine."

Lon'qu hopped on Minerva and the latter already took a liking to him, allowing him to ride on hi- I mean her.

Looking at Cherche, she's strong (strength-wise) and can also take some punishment. She's also quite agile for a wyvern rider, though faster fighters like myrmidons and thieves can clearly outmaneuver her and counter her axe with their swords. Good thing our enemies mostly consist of lance users so Cherche will be fine.

"So, Shepherds, how's it feel to fight once more?" I asked the team, "I already feel excited to stop a war."

"I'm not sure whether I want to do political duties or fight off invaders," Chrom commented, "But if these Valmese are the reason our peace is disrupted, I have no choice."

"Teach had been training non-stop ever since we fought Gangrel," Vaike answered gleefully, "I'd like to teach them a lesson they'll never forget."

"I'm not going to be the damsel in distress this time," Maribelle said in her new Valkyrie garbs, more confident than ever, "I've got an Elthunder tome, and I know how to use it."

"It's been pretty boring without you, Alec," Tharja sighed, "But I'd like to kill for your sake once more."

She said the last sentence with a creepy smile. When will she get her creepy addiction off of me? She's freaking married to Gaius already.

"I really don't wanna fight, I actually enjoyed my time of peace in Plegia," Gaius commented with a bored look, "But I'm expecting a huge candy reward after we stop Valm."

"Hell yeah! I'd love to unrust my weapon arm," Sully said with boiled blood; an energetic smile on her face.

"I'm ready for sure," Kellam said as he spun his hammer and swung it to the right. A chain connected to the bottom of his weapon as it was shot to the ground.

"I-I'm pretty nervous, but if this is Chrom's fight," Olivia brandished her Armorslayer bravely, "It's also mine."

"I have grown strong to face even a mighty Plegian army," Sumia said with her tome ready, "I'm yours to command once again, Alec."

The surrounding knights began to inch closer to us. I kinda miss being with the Shepherds in battle. Fighting with them feels like I'm fighting a group of bullies with my own personal clique. A band of friends fighting together, sticking close, and assisting each other. With a deep breath, I prepared my first command.

* * *

**Notes**

**Regarding my Lemon chapter, I had to put some revisions on it because it was initially about the scene continuation when Sumia entered the bath.**

**My poll is still up, so my ultimate decision has yet to come.**

**I'm only going to be updating once a week due to Summer time not being as free as I expected.**

**My favorite Sacred Stones character is Artur, with my fave pairing being LutexArtur. The A support is kawaii as fuck and I'm glad she's basically not Miriel (though the latter is cute too, but she doesn't react to love in a cute way). I still don't get why they didn't add Light Magic in Awakening (inb4 Book of Naga). Also, Garcia is one of my favorites too as well as his son, Ross, and who knows? Maybe that Garcia is the same one from SS. **

**Also, did I mention my favorite General iteration was the GBA one? Having your weapon chained to your arm is freaking badass as hell and the weapon retraction is fitting for the sluggish general. Next thing you know, Kjelle is an armored Kratos with axes.**

**Well, that's it for today. Real action starts next chapter. Until then.**


	24. The Honed Edge

**Chapter 22**

**The Honed Edge**

"Everyone, stay close!"

Three knights from the north approached the northern defense. Kellam immediately defeated the lead knight with a shot from his chained hammer. Sumia used her Arcthunder tome to immediately rid of the knights. Cavalry were coming from the west.

"Chrom, take the west with Olivia," I said.

"All right," he drew his rapier while his wife used a Steel Bow.

I heard clopping to the North. A group of cavaliers charged forward, lances and swords ready. I saw a knight about to attack me with a Beast Killer. He dashed forward in an attempt to close the distance, only for him to meet the edge of my sword on his chest. Thanks to all the training I've been through, my strength has increased to the point that I can slice through armor with a mere Killing Edge. While the knight fazed for a bit, he countered with a lance shot, using a similar pneumatic/chain system as Kellam's weapon gauntlet. I was fast enough to witness the preparatory motion... or his startup was just slow. The vehement speed of the thrust was frightening. I spun my sword, holding it in reverse-grip and stabbed the wound I made on the knight. I grabbed his Beast Killer as his armored body dropped dead.

"Sumia, catch!" I passed her the Beast Killer lance and she caught it with finesse.

"Are you ready?" I saw another wave of cavaliers approach.

"Hope I won't trip."

"Chrom, once you kill the Paladin, defend the next choke point up northwest."

"Okay."

"Bow Knight Northeast!" Cherche said before she cleanly killed a foolish lance cavalier.

"Let me take care of it, woman," Lon'qu gruffly said.

"I have a name, Lon'qu," Cherche twitched with anger, earning ignorance from Lon'qu.

"Alec, I propose we try the Lightning War plan you planned," Lon'qu said. He landed next to me and carried a sword in one hand and three kunais on the other. With him reminding me, I began to give instructions.

"Okay, Lon'qu and I will charge toward the wave of cavs lead by that Bow Knight," I said, "We'll aim for the Bow Knight, but you guys will bombard the cavaliers."

"How are you guys going to go through?" Cherche asked, "And what will I 'bombard' with?"

"Vaike, I need to borrow your short axe for a while," I said to Vaike, who stood triumphantly over a knight.

"Sure thing, pal," he passed me the axe and I managed to grab it by the handle.

"Cherche, here," she landed by me and grabbed the axe, "You're strong enough to kill one of those cavaliers with one hit. Sumia will provide extra fire power."

We charged forward; Lon'qu and I are the ones leading the charge. The cavaliers charged at us and attempted to attack us. Both of us shot to the air and stepped on the helmets of the cavaliers. The Bow Knight attempted to aim at the fliers, but it was already too late. Lon'qu leapt over him and threw his kunais at his wake, setting up the kill. I dealt the finishing blow with a dropping slash that began with a front flip. I grabbed the Silver Bow in his possession and tossed it up high.

"I'd give this to my Duke if he wants," Cherche said as she flew over me with her usual smile.

In my wake, the four other cavaliers were either pelted by an axe or electrocuted. I looked to the other side and saw Chrom's squadron doing a good job with their defensive strategy. Chrom, Vaike, and Gaius were the front line fighters, tearing through most of the armored and mounted troops. Their wives provided powerful ranged support and Maribelle used her physic staff. Chrom charged at the Bow Knight, but the Vaike ran past him, much to his surprise.

"Vaike?!"

"I've got this, buddy!" he rocketed through the air and threw a powerful chop into the horse's back, "Hey, this guy's horse is down! Take care of it, pally."

Chrom sheathed his rapier and spun his Falchion when he drew it. He quickly drove the sword into the Bow Knight's abdomen, ending the latter's life in seconds.

"Vaike, have you been training ever since?" Chrom questioned.

"Alec!" Cherche went in front of me and her wyvern, Minerva, used her fangs to block the Paladin Commander's attack.

"Cherche?!"

"If you really are the Master Tactician, you should really keep your focus on your opponents."

I didn't want to argue, and Cherche was right. I shouldn't be focusing on seeing my friends talk, but focus on vigilance.

"Cherche, are you sure you can take him?" Minerva was clearly struggling and the rider showed an anxious look. She's prepared for most of the opponents, but the commander was still much more powerful.

I made sure my coat cape was secure before I charged forward. I ran on top of Minerva and quickly threw a jumping strike at the commander. Fitting for a man with power to command, his seasoned reflex managed to clash my blade with a back up silver sword. He smiled confidently from catching me off guard.

"Well, you think you can beat me?" he arrogantly questioned, "I've fought in way more wars than you, and I've also faced an army on my own!"

When I landed, I took a leap back to prepare my next attack. Minerva's snout was brutally headbutted by the commander's horse, causing both rider and steed to flinch. Minerva's mouth illuminated a bright orange and shot a fireball at the paladin, only for the latter to dodge it with a spinning leap. At the same time, Lon'qu fired a burst of kunais to where he predicted he would land. The sound of metal denting metal was heard as the kunais dug into his shield. He snickered at his attempt at ranged combat. I suddenly saw Lon'qu behind a crate behind the paladin. He saw me and nodded. Sumia killed the last few reinforcements by the boat and nodded at me from behind a wall, hidden from our enemies sight.

"Where are you, wimps?"

With three teammates. He heard my footsteps and turned to me. With a cocky smile, he tossed his short spear at me.

"I've fought similar men like you," I said as I dodged it with a sidestep while continuing my charge, "Who the hell do you think I am?!"

"Just a grain of sand waiting to be stomped!" he returned.

I held both swords and did a ducking dash through the horse and cut its legs. The horse dropped down, leaving the rider completely vulnerable and scared.

"Sumia!"

Sumia immediately launched the rider up high with a Rexcalibur blast. Kellam, who managed to finish a wave with his wife, Sully, saw the commander and shot his chained lance at him. The rider, though vulnerable, attempted to shield himself from the lance with his shield arm, only to find his left arm disabled by an extremely slim lance that impaled his arm. The spear punctured his forearm and Kellam pulled him to his range. Kellam bashed the paladin with his shield, greatly fazing the cocky commander. Minerva came from behind and bit his legs and tossed him to Cherche's height. She grabbed her hammer and did an upward swing on the airborne victim, launching him into the air. Lon'qu threw a flurry of kunais at the airborne target. Despite the overkill, he still managed to breathe a bit. Sumia flew past the target with me on her pegasus. I shot toward him and threw a two-handed spike with my fists. As he dropped down, a powerful Bolganone from Sumia finished him off. The commander grunted weakly, uttering his last words.

"You-you onl-only face a small fraction... of our Em-Empire's might."

I shut him up with a cruel kick to his chest. Sumia was disappointed in my crude action.

"This was for that citizen who died at that boat," I said coldly.

"... Sorry, Alec. Don't get too absorbed in to this beast or else..."was her response. She was my wife, she knew that I have a vengeful streak as well as a violent aura. But I wouldn't let this evil part of me hurt my wife.

* * *

_"Why, why'd you do that?" Sumia said as I stood over the body of an unforgiving rapist._

_"I'm so sorry, Sumia," I said apologetically, "I-I'm little more than a beast."_

_I took a handkerchief and wiped my own bloodied knuckles. Despite my little sadistic streak, I was ashamed to see Sumia see some of the evil parts of me. It took many deep breaths to go back in control._

_"Alec..." she said softly not sure what to say._

_"Inside, I'm a beast of harsh justice," my tone was forlorn, "I can't stand to see innocents die and evil get away with it. I think that this marriage might not work if I'm such a mad dog."_

_Sumia teared up and embraced me. She was crying tears of sadness. I thought that Sumia would disown me for admitting that I'm a beast._

_"Just because you're a beast, doesn't mean you shouldn't freely discard your humanity!" she cried._

_"... I... I feel stupid, yet... this is how I feel about evil. They always take advantage of the kindness of people, and yet..."_

_"..You may have attacked him like a beast, but you're my husband, Alec," she said, now calmed down. Her tears were dry and she had a smile on her face, "It was... surprising to see you in a bestial state. Getting to know you better... makes me love you more."_

_I was baffled from her last words. Do I truly deserve to be her husband? _

_"I'm saying that if you continue to let your primal urges take over your method of justice, I may not see the same you again."_

_"I'm trying my hardest to fight this primal beast... To be in balance, one must tame their negative energies. I want to tame this beast; control it so I won't ever hurt you or our family again."_

* * *

When I walked to the boat, I checked if there were any heirlooms or anything of familial value on the corpse of the poor villager. I managed to grab his gold wallet, and a pendant. Chrom approached from behind me and I turned to him. He had an inquisitive look on his face from me corpse robbing.

"What's going on, Alec?" he asked.

"This poor villager died from a tyrant and I want to return anything of value on him to his family," I said with a somber voice.

Chrom smiled at my action, approving of my way of paying tributes to innocents dying.

"There are many innocents that have died today, and I don't know if I can return anything of value to their families," I said.

With a pat on the shoulder from Chrom, he smiled dearly.

"Don't worry, Alec, we're all here to help."

* * *

After giving heirlooms and items of familial value to the survivors, I sat on the harbor side with Chrom, Basilio, Flavia, and Frederick. The Shepherds were given voluntary shelter from the citizens as thanks for saving them despite the ruined state.

"We need to think of some way to get to Valm," Chrom said in a thinking position.

I looked to Basilio and Flavia, pondering on what to do.

"Hey, Khans, are there any vessels from Ferox left?" I asked them.

"No. Those damn Valmese burnt down our best ships," Basilio said with a disappointed frown.

"Damn them, sadly for our allies, Ylisse has no powerful naval force," Flavia noted.

"So if Ferox and Ylisse have no suitable vessels, we need another place to rely ships on," Chrom said.

I took out a map and crossed out the Feroxi Harbor as well as Ylissean harbor. Feroxi Harbor has military trusted ships; all of them sabotaged by the Valmese. Once we manage to reach Valm, we really don't have anything to worry too much about. But there's one place we haven't went to, and just hearing those words gives me the heebie jeebies. Surely my allies will express the same feeling.

"How about Plegia?" I proposed.

The other four were immediately surprised. Flavia nearly fell into the water, but Frederick managed to catch her in time.

"Thanks, friend," Flavia said to the lieutenant.

"You're welcome, Khan Flavia," Frederick said with a smile.

"Plegia?! Have you gone mad, Alec?!" Basilio exclaimed.

"Well, where else are we gonna look, you oaf?" Flavia responded to Basilio.

Everyone seems so unsure about trusting Plegia in helping us. This is how it must be done. Ferox didn't trust Ylisseans at first because of Plegians attempting to enter the gates via impersonation. It's not like another Gangrel is crowned.

"Yeah, plus it's not like all the kings of Plegia are Gangrels," I added.

"But still..." Chrom was hesitant, "Even with Gangrel dead, I still don't trust Plegia as much."

"Either way, Plegia is the only one with war ships, Chrom," Flavia said, "Surely, Plegia would agree to fight against the Valmese conquest."

"...All right, fine," Chrom said, "We'll be going to Plegia as soon as we receive personal invitation by the current Plegian king."

"We'll take refuge here in the Harbor," Chrom said, "As soon as we wake up, we march to Plegia Castle."

We all stood up and we walked to our designated areas. Chrom put people of the same sex on the same houses. Frederick stayed with Chrom, and I stayed with Sticky Fingers Gaius.

* * *

**A few minutes later**

I examined a Second Seal I found while I was looking through the convoy. I managed to learn essential skills as a Swordmaster and throughout my years fighting as one, I managed to learn a few techniques. I remembered when I could barely use a sword back then, only using crude techniques. That's how I lost against Marth in Ferox. Ever since then, my swordplay has increased considerably. While I was training with Lon'qu, he taught me draw sword techniques, and I remembered one of my opponents I faced.

My greatest opponent was a wandering Chon'sin Swordmaster. He claimed he was a serial killer back in Chon'sin, but owning up to his mistakes, decides to wander around the world and help people in need if he were to encounter them. He has protected many people, but he left the Valm area after Walhart took over it. He only fought with a silver Killing Edge, but this one had a weird modification: It's cutting edge was reversed. He defeated me with a sword ill-fit for killing. When we both exchanged our identities, he already knew my name. He says that I was either called the "Demon Tactician" or the "Indra". I asked why they called me the latter, and they said that I was a deadly user of lightning, earning me that title. He was known as the "Asura" before, a God of War that tore anything in its way. He was only known as "Asura" but no one knew his full name. I tried asking him to teach me his drawing techniques, but he refused, as I was a tactician who's constantly stuck in situations where I have to kill. I fully understood his reasoning, knowing I might become an "Asura" myself.

I put away the Second Seal and looked at the wakazashi "Asura" gave me. It was quite long for a wakazashi (the blade about the size of my forearm) and tucked in a simple sheathe. Etched into its blade was a sort of foreign language.

"Hey, Alec," a female voice said.

I looked behind me and saw Cherche. She had a curious look on her face.

"Something wrong, Cherche?" I asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that you're quite the powerful strategist. More powerful than I've heard."

"Oh um... Thanks," I chuckled sheepishly. I like being praised, though..., "I'm not the greatest tactician."

"You fought this whole army and managed to make a plan where no one dies," she said.

She sat down beside me and witnessed the wakizashi I held.

"I've seen that blade before," she commented.

I raised my brow and showed her the wakizashi. She examined it closely and saw the inscription on the blade.

"You can read that?" I said.

"Yes, I stayed in Chon'sin for a while during my youth," she said.

She examined it for a while and those wide eyes surprised. Did she discover something about that small sword?

"Alec, when did you meet the legendary Asura?" she asked.

"I found him during my travels as a mercenary," she's aware of the legend, it seems, "Why?"

She had a sparkle in her eyes, in awe of me holding a weapon from the "Asura" himself.

"The Asura saved my life when I stayed at Chon'sin," she said, "It was my lifelong dream to find him."

"Not to change the subject, Cherche, but what does it say on the sword?" I asked.

"Oh, my apologies, Alec," she skimmed through the text again.

"So?"

She sheathed the sword and passed it to me. She had a frown on her face.

"It says, 'May the blessing of Rin'Kai be with you'."

"Rin'Kai?"

"She was a friend of mine while I stayed there. She's Shin'ta's little sister," she said, "She died right before Walhart fully conquered it as well as 'The Deva Retribution'."

"The Deva Retribuition?!"

"A massive amount of Valmese soldiers were suddenly found dead near Chon'sin. The General who lead those soldiers lived to tell the tale, but not without his hands being cut off."

"... I know, and it makes sense that he used a reverse-edged killing edge."

"Reverse-edge?" Cherche questioned.

"He told me he made a creed to never kill again," I replied, "I wanted him to teach me how he massacred the large mass of enemies, but I understood his reasons."

"I see."

The sun was going down, and both Cherche and I sat down on some of the crates. I don't wanna strike up as rude and distance myself from her, but I don't want to get her too close to me. We can just be friends.

"So, what were his reasons?"

I unsheathed Orobas and slid my finger on the edge of the blade. The blade was sharp, but if I were to do it faster, I would bleed. The sunset light reflected the sheen of the blade, giving me a faint image of my face. I had a neutral looking frown on my face.

"I double as both tactician and fighter in this war," I said, "He already sensed a demonic beast underneath me, and I acknowledge this mad beast, but at the same time, I acknowledged what sort of atrocities would I have done with such power. Even as he outright said it, I knew he was right, and I respect his decision."

I looked at the small sword.

"So, do you think you have any idea why he gave me this sword? He just gave it to me and left without a word."

She looked at me as if trying to compare me to another person. Her stern yet calculating look confused me.

"... I don't know..."

I extended my hand toward her, holding the sheathed short sword. She was surprised by me giving the sword to her.

"..A-Alec, why are you giving this to me?"

"I see no real significance it has to me. If Rin'Kai was your dear friend, I guess it has much more value for you than to me."

She took the sword and her smile grew wider by a bit.

"Thank you."

I smiled from seeing her happy, but I was surprised to see something I didn't want to see: a blush. I'm going to have to find a way to leave without a rude impression.

"I have to get going back to my homestay, it's getting late," I said without hesitation.

I hopped off and left the wyvern rider to stay alone. As I was going farther, I heard a sigh of sadness. I tried to ignore it, but ultimately, I turned back and saw her head looking down.

"Something wrong, Cherche?" I asked.

She looked at me and shook her head with a comforting smile.

"No, I'll be fine."

I walked back to my homestay. I decided to recount the little conversation Cherche and I had. Is she getting along with Lon'qu? I can't have her fall in love with me, but at the same time, I can't just rudely avoid her.

Still, I'm friends with Lissa, who once had a crush on me. I also spar with Sully sometimes, and we both carry out our relationship as platonic. We only enjoy sparring together, and we both disagree about going out to eat anywhere with just the two of us. I play games with Nowi sometimes whenever I'm bored at camp, and even when she's married, treats me like a good friend. I should really have more confidence in my own abilities, honed by past experiences. In fact, I should read and write on my notebook frequently.

* * *

**Villager House**

The villager who looked over us was an elderly man. His son died, yet his grandson was somewhere away from the harbor, much to his relief. He was a heavy sleeper though, so as soon as we finished our lunch, Gaius and I chatted for a while.

"Hey, Cakehead, how's your marriage going with Stumbles?" he had his usual casual yet curious face.

"It had been... pretty normal for a married couple to be honest. She'd usually shout at me for being away too long during my mercenary outings," I said.

"Mercenary work? Hey, I saw you in Plegia a year ago," he said, "I thought you'd be you know, be with your wife and..."

He formed a hole with two fingers and put one finger through it a couple of times. This was kinda awkward.

"...Yeah, that's when I'm not at work," I replied looking away from him in embarrassment.

He started sucking on his lollipop with the same stern look. I chewed on some brownies he supplied from an Ylissean bakery. Well, this is a bit of a boon staying with Gaius. He has sweets ready for any sitch. Though, I always wonder how Gaius manages to stay fit while having a large daily consumption of sweets.

"So, how is Tharja's marriage working for you?" I asked.

"Well, most of the time, she won't stop talking about you," he was visibly annoyed from saying that. I was too.

"Every time we're in bed, and she's sleeping, she's always sleep talking your name in a euphoric manner."

"Sooo, is it working or no?" I raised my brow.

"... It sort of does, we do have our moments sometimes, but ultimately, she loves me," Gaius said with a casual grin.

"Okay, this is kinda gay to talk about," I had a bored look.

"You know what, I guess you could say that," the thief replied.

There was a moment of awkward silence. It kinda feels like we're girls gossiping about other people.

"Oh, we should talk about how they are like during..."

"NO!" I shouted, "Just no!"

I'm pretty sure Tharja is the domineering one. Her wearing those Sorceress clothing and pleasuring Gaius with those- Uh-oh, just the thought of this is causing me to-

"Alec," Gaius said with a concerned look, "You..."

I looked down and realized something wrong. Something...

"Red!"

"Why is your nose bleeding?!"

"Wait, why is your nose bleeding?!" I replied frantically.

"I have much more frequent nose bleeds than anyone else!" Gaius said as he panicked, "Why is yours bleeding?!"

"I-I don't know, we need to find something to cover our nose!"

We all stood up and ran around frantically, looking for a handkerchief to block our noses. How come I didn't get aroused by the lewd thoughts? Because I shouldn't. I'm with Sumia for Naga's sake!

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I released my lemon chapter on a separate story. It's my first, so don't be too harsh, please?

The relationship between Alec and Cherche resembles my first actual playthrough of the game, where my first MU's waifu was Cherche. She was in my opinion, the hottest of all the parent generations, but then I realized her character was pretty boring.

**"I like my women dangerous, mysterious. You want to be my lover, earn it. Seduce me!"  
-Female Spy in an Alt. Dimension of TF2 teaching Female Scout how to get a man.**

... You know, I think she kind of is, but overall, she's pretty boring personality-wise. During my 1st Hard Playthrough, I just picked Sumia, and I couldn't believe how well developed MU and Sumia's relationship compared to ChromxSumia.

Also, I was hyped to see Robin confirmed to be playable. I shouted so loud that my family woke up from my outburst. I freaking knew it! I wrote my reaction here in case any of you haven't seen my Lemon... yet, because that was released a bit earlier than this update.

The little combination attack was inspired by Robin's Final Smash, which involves him doing a team up attack with Chrom.

But yeah, in your face, Gematsu. Get your little Shulk later... 'cause I don't really care.

Also, if you get the reference on "Asura", you have discovered one of my most favorite anime/manga of all time. Asura will only appear in Alec's memories. He serves only as one of his teachers in the art of the blade, though not to his sword style's full extent... or does he. He may or may not appear in the future.

See ya in my next chapter. The next chapter stars my most hated character. You guys have an obvious clue.


	25. Nevermore

**Disclaimer:**

Massive violence on Henry approaching.

So, if you read this fic and expect Henry puns galore... You won't really.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**Nevermore**

Sumia. She left me for Henry just because of that small fight and the accusation of me cheating on her with Cherche. I was only trying to help her with approaching Lon'qu, but no, she thought I was doing something else. It's not my fault a friend was in need. I really didn't think it was Sumia's or mine. Sumia would understand... but some sort of demonic force is coercing her to do this. The aftermath of Valm Castle surrounded me. Chrom gave me time alone; reevaluate my emotions and thoughts. I don't care about this war anymore. I just want... no. NEED my wife back.

"I'm gonna kill you!" a certain voice said behind me.

"Urgkh!" I yelped from the sudden purple needle stabbing through me.

"Nyahahaha, your life is in shambles," that kid said, "Your wife is mine, your children now love me more and doubt you are truly their father."

"Sick son of a bitch," I gurgled some blood, "Is this your purpose? To ruin my life?"

I felt more spikes enter through my chest. Henry started laughing madly from the pain I felt. Throughout this whole journey, he took away my wife, deceived my children, and now he's going to kill me. This doesn't feel like mercy killing. It's more like chance killing.

"Nyahaha, when I saw you with your wife, I knew I would love to have her as mine," Henry snickered as he stroked the back of my hair. He whispered: "Also, I was the one who told her that you were cheating on her."

"I-I always knew you were a prick," I said grabbing my sword, "If I die, then you're going to die with ME!"

I stabbed myself with my katana, also stabbing that sick bastard.

"Are you nuts?!" the callous jovial creep's voice changed to something more fearful.

"You don't know who you're trying to kill."

"Alec!" I heard Sumia cry, "Don't kill him!"

"He took me away from you just to see how I reacted..." I said weakly.

"Please... no, I-I love Henry..."

"Well, he doesn't love you! He's been deceiving all of us this whole time."

"S-Sumia, please s-save me," Henry begged.

"Fuck you, you deranged son of a bitch!"

I drew my sword out and grabbed him. He may be a strong magician, but I'm even stronger than he was. I grabbed his face and slammed him down to the ground. I mounted on his back and pinned down his arms with two knives. The mark on my hand glowed madly and I felt my irises shrink from madness. I grabbed all of the tomes on his belt and tossed them aside, leaving him useless.

"Alec, please no!"

I heard him scream in pain as I used another set of knives to cut his cheeks, leaving him in a permanent smile.

"You think your smile makes you all goodie two-shoes, huh?" I shouted madly.

"Stop it!" Henry begged, "I'm sorry."

"How are you so sure?"

I grabbed his jaw and gruesomely pulled it out. I don't want him to ever lie to any of my family again. With his teeth pinned to the ground, I proceeded to brutally stomp his body. I heard him cry in pain, or at least utter an audible one. I heard magic incantations being heard. I looked to my left and saw Sumia preparing a Thoron spell. I grabbed Henry and tossed him up high while ducking down to avoid the Thoron beam. The lightning beam tore through his already lacerated chest as he fell down... nearly dead. He was losing blood fast; I needed to make him die humiliated. I grabbed my knife again and went down to his pelvic area.

"...HHNOO HLEEASE!" he cried with his jaw-less mouth.

"I'm just going to achieve your dream, Henry," I said with a low angry tone, but a sadistic smile, "You wanted to die a bloody death, right?"

"Hnnoorry!" he started to cry and he attempted to kick me with a leg, only for it to be grappled by my hand. I started to pull hard on his leg until it got separated. He cried in deep pain; eerie euphoria to my ears.

"Sorry won't fix everything..." I said silently. I looked at Sumia with my cold eyes. She was scared. Even in an enraged state, I still had little time to be sane.

"Sumia... run away, please," I told her, "Bring Chrom so he can kill me."

"Alec... I'm so sorry, I-I don't want you to die too."

"It's already too late, Sumia..." I said, "I may not be religious as much, but I know for a fact that you can't serve two masters... and... I'm not a polygamist."

I looked toward Henry, the jaw-less, legless Henry. The Henry who took away my wife, my future, and my family. He was breathing fast from the massive blood loss. I had to make this quick before Grima fully possesses me. I put my knife on his pelvic area and gritted my teeth angrily.

* * *

**Present time**

"Whaa!"

I suddenly woke up in my own tent. It was nighttime at the Ferox/Plegia border, and my sudden outburst caused me to wake up Sumia, who slept beside me.

"Uhhn. Alec, are you okay?" she said with a tired and concerned tone.

"I had a nightmare..." I said, "You were taken away by some dumb white haired kid... He deceived you, framed me, and ultimately lied to us."

"... Lied to me?"

"He got you married to him," I said, "I may be crazy, but I think I might be an extremely abusive husband."

I looked down in shame. That dream, it felt realistic. That kid that I gave the bird to, is he truly antagonistic as my dreams would?

"Alec," she held my hands and looked at me with groggy eyes, "I don't think you will be. In fact, even if we fight, you're humble enough to suck up to your own mistakes."

"... Really? Thanks," I said with a smile.

"We should get back to sleep, we have a big day tomorrow."

* * *

**Plegia Castle**

Chrom, Frederick, and I were the three who entered the castle throne room. Fitting for a country that worships a dark god, the atmosphere was quite dark, having an emphasis on dark blue tones. Maybe that's just the night time lights. I still have an eerie feeling about this.

"Alec, who do you think the new King of Plegia is?" Chrom asked in a hushed voice.

"Maybe some sort of high priest or priestess from the Grimleal?" I answered.

I was thinking of Sena. She might be the ruler. She did say she was "pretty important".

"Welcome, welcome," a familiar voice was heard.

I heard the footsteps of two people, but one was distinct. One of their heels sounded like high heels. Then, I saw them. While I recognized Aversa, who stood by the king, the king was a surprising sight. Tall, dark skinned, clad in Sorcerer clothing. Validar?!

"Wait, who are you?" I asked the doppelganger.

"I'm the new king of Plegia. My name is Validar," he said, "You must be Alec, correct?"

"Yes, pleased to meet you, your majesty," I extended my hand for a handshake, but Validar politely refused.

"Formalities are not necessary, my friend," he said with an eerie smile.

I moved closer beside Chrom and Frederick. We bunched up together, contacting each other through whispers.

"Milord, didn't we kill him two years ago?" Frederick whispered.

"How is this possible?" I said, "This must be some sort of mimic."

"I have a bad feeling about this, guys," Chrom whispered with unease, "Are we sure we can trust him?"

"We'll just have to trust them for now, milord," Frederick proposed quietly, "But we must stay on guard."

All three of us nodded to Frederick's suggestion.

I saw Aversa with a stern frown, eyebrow raised. Is she striking our little huddle as rude, or did she hear us?

"Please, friends, it's rude to whisper during a meeting," she said.

"My apologies, Aversa," Chrom said, "Now, we've met you here to discuss the Valmese Invasion."

The bearded sorcerer uttered a "hm" as he scratched his chin. After a brief second, he looked at us with a casual smile.

"Ah, yes, the Valmese," Validar commented, "Do you seek assistance from us?"

"Yes, Ferox's finest fleets have been burnt down by the Valmese, and we're here to ask for your assistance."

Aversa smiled with arched eyebrows.

"We'd love to assist you in this campaign," Aversa said.

"If Ferox and Ylisse are joining together to prevent the Valmese from invading, then Plegia may as well join forces with their continental brothers and sisters to defend their continent," Validar said with a smile.

"Hmm that's great, in fact, what do you guys have to offer?" I said. I kept my emotions controlled, not letting my joy take over. I've to stay on guard, because this Validar isn't trustworthy.

"Our army still remains in shambles from the last war, so we can't offer men," Validar said.

"But we will offer you our warships and transports," Aversa finished, "800 warships and 200 transports. Plus, we'd be delighted to fund your campaign against Valm."

"...How generous of you, milord," Frederick said to Validar, keeping a stern yet non-threatening gaze.

"Thank you, King Validar," Chrom said, keeping a serious look.

"Brilliant! Here's to a fruitful relationship between our countries," Validar grinned with his teeth. I have a bad feeling about this.

Chrom and Validar shook hands on an agreement well done. The blue haired prince kept a serious look.

"It's great to know our agreement went well, King Validar," Chrom said, "Unless there's any more things to discuss, the Shepherds and I must return to Port Ferox."

"Hey, am I late?" a voice was heard from behind Aversa and Validar. Wait, that feminine voice.

I saw someone levitating behind Validar. That figure wore a hooded longcoat with a beige tanktop underneath. She also wore a a short skirt with a matching color to her coat. She wore knee-high greaves colored silver. The longcoat she wore was worn like a cape, similar to mine.

"Oh, you're just in time," Aversa said, "Our Hierophant."

"Milady, do you mind taking off your cowl? It's rude to wear it during meetings," Frederick said.

"... Your blood, so different, yet the same as mine..." she mumbled to herself.

"Pardon?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me," she said as she took off her hood. Her spiky blonde locks exploded outward as her cowl was taken off. I was surprised to see who it was.

"Sena?!"

"You know her?" Chrom asked.

"I met her during my wedding with Sumia," I said to Chrom.

"Oh, Alec, nice to meet you," she said jovially.

"So this is what you mean by 'pretty important'."

"Yep, uhhh I lead the worship of Grima in the cult," she said with creepy glee.

Chrom, Fred, and I twitched from her joy. From what I heard, the Grimleal are a sect that brings "divination" by human sacrifices.

I saw Frederick conversing with Chrom for a bit.

"He's somewhat similar to Alec for some reason."

"Well, we have to get going back," I said, "We must make it to the Feroxi Harbor."

* * *

**Plegia Castle. A few minutes later.**

"Sena, your jovial attitude is irritating!" Validar scolded, "How come it isn't another Sena?"

"I know, right?" Sena said, "What happened to Sena?"

"Are you saying you're really the Sena who was possessed by Grima?" Aversa said with an inquisitive look.

The Hierophant did a back flip in the air and floated upside-down with her arms resting on her head; a lazy look on her face.

"Well, duh!" the blonde Hierophant replied, "I know what I must do, and besides, all this joking around is just a ruse."

Her eyes shifted from hazel to red as she smiled maliciously.

"Even with past Sena not here, I have a big plan with that boy," Sena said seriously, "Just listen close. I have a plan, and I have a special agent."

* * *

**Carrion Isle**

We set up camp in Carrion Isle... for now. Since it's part of Plegia, and we have an approval to access any Plegian marine services, we could take a quicker more convenient route by using the island's small size and the ease of sea travel. After reading Sumia a bedtime story, I walked outside and breathed in some fresh air. The night was beautiful, and the sight of the moon kept me fascinated by the beauty of the night. I just don't think I can sleep.

"I can't really sleep."

I grabbed my dream diary. Ever since I've got that weird dream with Stahl dying, I've been recording my sights on weird yet... suspicious dreams. I decided to scan the dialogue of my last dream.

"It's already too late..." I read.

Why did I want Chrom to kill me? Hmm. I flipped through the pages and went to the dream of when... My eyes widened and my irises shrunk. What could this mean? The dreams are starting to get scarier and scarier.

"Aggh!" my head started to hurt. I saw a brief image of an eye-less Sena with bleeding eyes. She had a series of unborn fetuses hung by their own umbilical cords. An ear piercing screech sound out, disorienting me.

_**"Nufufufu, you sure have strange dreams, cutie-pie."**_

_"That voice. Sena?!"_

**_"I don't know~. Why don't you try figuring it out yourself?"_**

_"What are you doing in my head?"_

**_"You're starting to piece the puzzles together now, huh? But all I can say is... you'll have a lonely future."_**

_"What do you mean?!"_

**_"Heeheehee, read your dream journal, you dumbass. You'll see."_**

The brief image of that kid flashed into my head. I flew into a violent rage and threw my fist at him. He's the one who will steal Sumia from me. I think I might be crazy, but those dreams... might be possible futures. The most prominent being... my fight with Validar! Do I have some sort of temporal connections?!

I suddenly heard a frenzy of crows. I saw a person standing in the midst of it. That white hair, that dumb smile. He only knows how to smile.

_**"There he is, Alec, he's the one about to steal your family away."**_

_"Why the hell is he here?! Who are you?!"_

**_"You don't recognize my voice? You're my grandson. I'm Validar, your grandfather."_**

_"Get out of my head!"_

"Nyahahaha, you must be a lunatic at this time of the night."

"Fuck you!"

I drew Andras and clashed with the dumb kid. The mirage got erased, revealing Chrom, guarding with Falchion. I shook my head to clear up my sanity.

"Alec! What's going on?!" his voice was angry and concerned.

"Chrom," I stopped my assault and sheathed Andras, "I'm sorry."

"What went on with you?" he sheathed Falchion too and cooled down his tone.

"My mind got assaulted... by the Hierophant and Validar... who's apparently my grandfather," I said weakly, "I was delving deeper into my dream journal's meanings, but... I think I got possessed."

I knelt to the ground and Chrom helped me back up. He had a serious look on his face.

"Alec, we're being assaulted by Risen," Chrom said, "We must prepare for battle."

A Risen sniper aimed a long bow at Chrom, but I immediately shielded Chrom. My best friend was surprised from the sudden attack and drew his sword.

"It's just us for now," Chrom said.

I used my Second Seal to transform back into a Grandmaster. I felt my magical power increase at the cost of a massive speed sacrifice, but even then, my speed has already been developed. I regained the usage of my tomes, so I grabbed the Thoron tome I kept. I unsheathed Andras and stood strong.

"Let's do it!"

Four snipers attacked from nearby. They all aimed their silver bows at me and fired. I levitated my Thoron tome and did a chopping motion while slashing a large beam of electricity. The arrows were immediately obliterated from the sheer lightning force, which also destroyed the snipers too.

I looked behind me and saw Chrom striking down a Warrior. Three more warriors charged at us. Two attacked with axes while one provided support with a bow.

"Chrom, I'll take care of the ranged Warrior," I said.

"All right," Chrom said.

The prince dodged the axe blow, and threw a powerful lunge at the first warrior. I saw the warrior with the bow take aim, so I quickly ran toward him. The 2nd axe warrior attempted to obscure me, but I managed to cling to his neck and flip over him.I grappled his head and slammed the back of his head into the ground. I heard the arrow fly, so I rolled to my right to dodge the shot. I hopped on to my feet and saw him preparing another arrow. He aimed at me, but I shot myself forward by using a telekinetic push with my feet. When I got close, I stabbed him with Andras and sliced upward, cutting his upper body and head in half. The warrior Risen behind me attempted to stand, but Chrom threw a finishing lunge at his head.

More Risen started to surround Chrom and I. Some stalked the cliffs, while most of them gathered close.

"This is gonna be a long fight," I said, " We need to make a signal to gather the team here."

"But how?!" Chrom questioned as he slew a Risen.

The sky suddenly glowed multiple colors. I looked to the sky and saw those colorful fire balls in the sky.

"Morpheus!"

"Who?"

"He's a friend of mine that helped me propose to Sumia."

"I see."

Fluttering was suddenly heard. Sumia and Cordelia came in from both sides with backup.

"I'll clear a path!" I said.

I let the tome float and channeled electricity into the knives. In case people wondered, I've honed my telekinesis before training as a myrmidon, then swordmaster. I enjoy my innate magic power, and was glad that it developed into something way more powerful. I learned this technique while I was doodling.

"Storm Hawk!" I tossed the two knives in front of me in a spinning motion, tearing any enemies who were foolish enough to be hit by the lightning charged blades. The blades also emitted a large lightning blade, courtesy of Thoron's power. The daggers returned to me and I grabbed them.

"When did you learn that move, Alec?" Chrom said in awe.

"Before I started my myrmidon training," I replied, "Though, it takes a great exhaustion on my head, as I have to use heavy telekinetic action."

The good thing: I cleared a massive amount of lesser troops with a single Storm Hawk. The bad thing: my mind hurt a lot after the technique was done. The only thing I had to do was wait a while as my head needed to recover.

I looked behind me and saw Chrom finishing a sniper, but then I saw another one behind him, preparing to fire an arrow.

"Chrom, look out!"

The sniper was immediately impaled by a multitude of purple spikes. The caster came from a man surrounded by a flock of ravens.

"Ravens?!"

"Nyahaha!"

"You!"

"Oh, you're the one who gave me Campari's bird~"

I can't trust this dream, nor that person, but I also I can't just strike up as rude to him.

The birds spread out, revealing the white haired kid. An aura of contempt emanated from me for some reason.

"Henry?!"

"Oh, you know my name," he said with eerie glee.

_I don't like him for some reason._

"This should just be a 'caws'-"

I bunted his head with the blunt edge of Belial, much to his... pleasure?

"That pun sucked ass," I said, "Now no time for jokes. If you're willing to help, shut up and stay close to us."

"Yes sir."

He's surprisingly loyal immediately. He's Plegian, but even when I saw him as a civilian, I don't trust his aura somewhat.

She eyed my wife and she pointed to her.

"Can I go with her?"

The memory of that snotty brat resounded through my head. I'm not sure if that dream I dreamt was real or not, but I sure hope that Henry isn't a wife stealer. With a stern look, I shook my head.

"No."

"Huh? Then what am I suppose to do?"

I grabbed his face and lobbed him into a fray of Risen. If you think you're going to steal my wife, why don't you go through them?

"Heeheehee," I heard him scream masochistically.

Sumia landed beside me and was obviously angry at me.

"Why are you forcing him to fight all those Risen?!" Sumia said.

"...Call me crazy if you want," I grabbed Andras and sheathed it.

"Arcane Technique," a Bolganone tome floated in front of me, "Kagutsuchi."

The sword ignited with an orange flame. While I traveled with Shin'ta, he told me of his battle with one of his deadliest opponents, Shin'So. He wielded a deadly serrated blade that had the unique ability to ignite fire on the blade using the oil it gathered from various corpses as a fuel.

I shot toward the surrounding group of Risen that ganged up on Henry. I stood in front of a bloodied Henry and threw quick slices to the enemies in closest to me. I did an upward kick to Henry as to launch him high up into the air. His pain resistance is surprisingly high. Sumia flew over me and rescued Henry to safety. When I sheathed my blade, an explosion of lava pillars destroyed the surrounding opponents. I managed to escape the scene by hopping over the group. Sumia saw me in the air and made me hitch on her pegasus. Henry was dropped off at a nearby fortress.

"Why should I call you crazy?" Sumia asked.

"I saw him in my dream," I said, "And... he stole you from me."

"Steal?"

"..."

"Are you getting possessive of me, Alec?!" she nagged.

"No, I-"

"I'm going to help Henry," she said as she dropped me off a safe place.

"Sumia, wait!"

She already headed off. I saw Chrom running toward me, bringing a series of Risen toward me.

"Chrom, let me help!"

"All right, on my mark, use your wind tome to boost me," Chrom said with a grin, "You're not the only one who learned a new technique."

"All right," I prepared my wind tome and nodded to Chrom.

"Aether Variant: Holy Dragon's Gale!"

Aether, a royal technique used by those of Ylissean blood. Despite that, the Radiant Hero of the Blue Flame was able to learn such a technique. It's the fusion of both Sol and Luna, two powerful techniques for battle. Aether is the sky, which unite the sun and the moon.

He sheathed his sword and nodded at me as he stomped his foot on the ground. The force of his stomp was strong enough to destroy some of the soil. I used the wind tome as a powerful tailwind to boost his speed. He drew his sword and did a sweeping slash through the Risen. While only the Risen who was adjacent to him were slain by that piercing swing, I saw something in the middle of the group of Risen. His swing was so fast and powerful he tore through the wind, creating a vacuum. The Risen were confused from their immobility as they were drawn close to the vacuum. Because of him using Aether, Sol's effect took course, regenerating his wounds from the amount of damage dealt to the enemies.

"Time for the finisher," Chrom said.

He let out a war scream as he swung his sword at the enemy. When he took the step forward, the ground once again crumbled from the force of the step. In a flash, he was able to swing through the gathered Risen with a powerful Luna slash. The end result of the attack was a tired body. Chrom's seemed to have overtaxed his body to do that technique. It sure does take great strength to swing so hard it tears the wind.

"Brother, I'm here," Lissa said as she shone him with her Recover Staff.

"Thanks, sis," Chrom said with a grateful smile.

"Don't worry about us, Alec," Lissa said, "My magic has grown, so you can leave me with brother."

I nodded and looked at the bridge. The leader wore the pants of a warrior, but his torso wear was torn through aging. The Risen's helmet was missing, letting its crazy wild hair out with an eerie mask covering its face. I could get there faster, but Sumia is taking care of Henry. I'm getting a bit jealous, but and I'm still suspecting that kid. But, Sumia can't handle this endless army of Risen on her own.

"Alec, I'll defend your wife and that child," Virion said while riding on a horse with a steel sword, "Go with Cordelia."

"Okay, thanks," I said to Virion.

Cordelia landed beside me and extended a hand. I grabbed on to it and she helped me get on to her pegasus. She commanded her pegasus to fly up into the air and hovered in place.

"Your orders, Alec?"

"Go to the bridge," I said, "We must kill the leader, and I sense a dark energy coursing through its veins."

"Roger."

She glided over the bridge, but before I dropped off, she looked at me.

"Can you handle yourself?" she asked with a concerned voice.

"Help if you need to," I replied.

I hopped off and dove headfirst. Cordelia was obviously scared of my stupid action.

"Alec!" Cordelia was about to fly back to me, only to realize I was levitating.

"How are you doing that?" she asked.

"Telekinesis."

"Your latent magic power can do that?" Cordelia asked in awe.

"Yeah, but I have to go."

"Good Luck, Alec. I'll go to Virion," with that, the crimson haired dark flier flew to the fortress Virion was in.

I raised my sword and threw a dropping slash to the leader below. I think I saw the Risen managing to spot me and clashed my sword in time with his tomahawk. I was still floating in the air using a well timed telekinetic lift. I took a hop back and prepared to fight him. He jumped high and was attempted a horizontal swing at me, but it was predictable and I dodged it by going dashing though him, going behind the zombie. I stabbed his back with Andras, but his large vitality seemed to recognize my attack as weak... or he had no pain tolerance. He threw an elbow to knock me away and attempted to execute me with his axe.

I reeled in my legs and kicked his legs, causing him to fall forward. I managed to push myself away using my wind tome to propel myself. Both of us got up and got ready for battle. While I usually carry one tome with one hand, I drew my other Killing Edge and levitated my tome. Behind the Risen Chief, I saw Chrom and Lissa coming in to help. I saw Lissa carry a Rescue Staff and an Arcfire tome. With a scheming grin, I hatched a neat idea with Lissa's staff.

"Lissa, use your Rescue Staff and prepare to attack," I said.

She nodded and levitated her staff while extending her palm outward to prepare her spell. I quickly ran toward the chief and did a spinning hop, expecting him to try an attack. Lissa used her staff in time and warped me to where she was. Right when I did the spinning hop, I was facing his back. When I was airborne, I used telekinesis to levitate in the air as I focused my spell.

"Thoron!"

"Arcfire!"

Two elemental beams pierced through the Risen Chief, but it wasn't enough to down him. When Risen die, they save body cleanup time by dissipating into purple mist. But seeing purple mist emanate from their wounds is a sign that his life... unlife is endangered. It let out a howl as it charged at both of us. A shadow leapt over me and threw a finishing blow to the Chief, ending the undead commander immediately. It exploded in a pillar of purple smoke before disappearing fully. The other Risen faded out into existence, bringing the much needed peace we need.

The battle really tired me out. It was late at night and I haven't got some sleep. This little ordeal awoke my desire to sleep, though at the same time, it kept me awake as my life was endangered. I knelt to the ground, my limbs about to sleep before I did. I dug my sword into the ground in a last attempt to stand up. My eyes suddenly felt heavy, but I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to be in my bed with Sumia.

"Sumia... Where...?"

I extended my hand to reach out for someone to help me. I felt someone grab my hand and I looked at my savior. Chrom, my best bud, helped me stand up. He put my arm over his arm and over his shoulders as he helped me walk back home.

"You're a pal, you know," I said to Chrom; a genuine smile on my face.

"There are better places to sleep than on the ground, you know," he said jokingly.

I quietly laughed from his little joke. I pat his back with my hand in gratitude. Chrom may be a bit of a hypocrite with ideals, but he can never turn his back on a friend.

"You're a powerful fighter, Alec," Chrom noted, "Just don't get too reckless, okay?"

"Alec, can you stand?" he asked as he let go of me immediately. I knelt to the ground and used my sword to keep me up.

"Another Risen?!"

It was an assassin Risen. He attempted to lunge at us, but someone guarded us in time. The blue hair, the parallel Falchion guarding the Killing Edge. Chrom and I had our eyes peeled from the sudden intrusion.

"Father, I'll keep you safe!" It was Marth!

Marth pushed him back and the assassin was stabbed from behind by a man on a silver wyvern.

"Watch this, dad," Morpheus lifted up the helpless Risen and allowed Cugar to scorch the poor zombie with a green inferno. He tossed him off the bridge and both the wyvern rider and woman smiled in relief.

"Father, I'm glad I made it in time," Marth said to Chrom.

"It was good to be of assistance, dad," Morpheus said to me.

"Father?!"

"Dad?!"

We both said it simultaneously with equal surprise.

"We're gonna need a lot of explaining..."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I can't believe I wrote this pretty fast. Two updates a week will be rare, but I might do it if I feel like it.

Are you gonna expect Henry to be an actual nice person? Find out in the next few chapters.

So, now that Henry has appeared, here's why I don't like him. I'm just gonna rant this out. And for people who love Henry, don't you ever FUCKING dare to change my opinion on others to give Henry a high opinion. That may sound crazy, but for a guy so overrated, you guys probably want me to like Henry.

A big reason is he's overrated as fuck. I hate how late he comes into the game, and his eyes depict a kind of person who would want to steal your wife. I thought he would be someone like Hazama, but no, he's just a dumb kid who thinks he's funny through dark humor and twisted puns. Also, Fire Emblem isn't a complete bishonen game created by fujoshis. I'm pretty sure 80% of most FE players only chose the "beautiful men" to be married, barring out Kellam, Gregor, or... I don't know, Frederick?. Kellam is actually likable (inb4 genes are a shit), even if he's trying to be noticed, he's quite altruistic. Inb4 Henry is the most selfless guy in the Shepherds. In all my games, I never got Henry married. He's too fucking late. Also, while he's considered a surprisingly good father, his genes are actually quite shitty. Inb4 marry her to Tharja or Miriel. And can I say that he has the most annoying voice (both NA and JAP).

Also, Henry's grim interior makes him a perfect Netorare "hero", mostly because he can be shipped with my waifu and every 1st generation. On my last gameplay on Hard, I immediately sent him to his death. And then all the FE fans go "Why? You shouldn't do that." and when Virion, Vaike, Kellam, or even Gregor (actual GOOD characters with a good starting impression... well partially for the Vaike and Virion) you guys would be all like "Meh, they had shit 'personalities'."

Gameplay wise, he's a bigger waste of time to train. Also his stats don't really intrigue me, and I'd usually be at the point where my characters are all 5x stronger than he is, making him more of a liability. Inb4 EXPonential. Just... no, I'm not wasting time on someone unmarried. Even in my female file, I won't get him to be married to anyone.

*breathes out*

So yeah. I guess that's it for my rant. I'm sorry if this offended anyone, but these are just my thoughts.


	26. You are the Father

**Chapter 24**

**You are the Father**

Under the moonlit sky, here I sat on top of the hillside. I was getting sleepier by the second, but my supposed son gave me a banana. He looks like an adult, so he's possibly an imitator or from the future.

"You like these, dad," he said, "It's your favorite fruit, right?"

I grabbed the banana and scarfed it down. The flavor was ripe and sweet, just the way I like it. I tossed away the banana peel and felt a surge of energy return. I smiled and nodded, confirming that it is indeed my favorite fruit.

"So, how's the future like?" I asked.

"My future was shit, dad," he said, "Sorry for the bad language, you'd usually use a 'Fist of Love' to discipline me."

The last thing he said made him cringe in fear. I shook my head, assuring his body (or in this case, face) is safe.

"Continue, swear as much as you need."

"Grima was awakened, you went missing, mom died from trying to fight for us, and my friends and I were deeply fucked," he said, "During our time fighting, I was trying to save our cat, Jane, but she sadly died from Risen. I also watched numerous innocents die, and it was hard to absorb for even me and Lucina."

"So what Lucina said is true," I noted, "It makes sense that she knows the events to come. I'm sorry to hear that, my friend."

"Can't you just call me your son for once?!" he shouted, "I just survived a grim dark future, and I came here to cancel out that event."

"If you were really my son, prove it," I replied in a loud tone, "How are you my son?"

He showed me his right pectoral. A mysterious mark was imprinted on it. It was in the shape of some sort of circular object with square "teeth". A cross resided in the middle and had arrows pointing outward on each end.

"What's that?"

"I've inherited your brand, dad," he said.

"I have a brand? Where?" I asked.

He pointed at my right eye. If I recall correctly, Marth cut my eye there. He showed me a mirror and I saw my mark surface. What's this mark supposed to be?

"When was I marked with this?" I said.

"... I don't know, but if you want more proof..." he showed me a rusted brooch. My eyes widened from discovering what the brooch was. I checked in my pocket and compared my brooch to his. This brooch is the same as that one. Time would erode metallic objects as it passes by.

"...Nate, it's really you," Sumia and I made a list for possible boy names in case we had a son. Nate was the highest voted one.

I looked at the sword on his right hip. I grabbed the handle and revealed some parts of the blade. The name, "Orobas" was inscribed near the hilt. I unsheathed my sword on my left hip and realized that Orobas is still in my possession. This man really is my son from the future.

"Nate, my son, come here!"

Nate started to cry underneath that hood from hearing his name. Deciding he has nothing to hide, he took off his mask and hood, revealing his true hair: spiky light brown hair that swept forward. The tone of his hair is like Sumia's hair color. He ran up to me and embraced me lovingly. If he cried emotionally like this, then I knew he would be my son. I'm able to be moved to tears by touching moments.

"Dad! Dad!" he cried, "Dad, I really missed you."

I closed my eyes and let out my tears too. I strengthened my embrace, increasing the warmth of my future son's embrace.

"Nate, I'm sorry you had such a shitty future," I said, "I must have been a harsh dad."

"You were a kind dad," he said sadly, "Though, you usually enforced discipline on me."

I chuckled from his reply. I pat his back gently.

"Well, if I didn't, you would have grown up to be weaker than you are," I said in a fatherly tone. Or in that case, dead.

We separated from our embrace and sat down on the hill again. We looked up to the clear night sky. The night was dark, so the stars shone brighter. The moon was the diva among the stars, being the closest celestial thing to this planet. I love the moon.

"You know what you told me, dad?" he said looking at me with those vivid brown eyes.

"What?"

"The sun is a star, and the stars in the sky means that there is a possibility of life out there," he said.

"I guess it's something I would tell my son," I replied, "It is true, but I don't remember where I learned that from."

We heard footsteps from behind us. We looked behind us and saw Sumia with a worried look.

"Alec, who is he?" she asked.

My son and I looked at each other and nodded. We stood up and I spoke first.

"Sumia, this is Nate," I said, "He's our son from the future."

"How is he our son?" Sumia asked with a raised brow.

I showed her my brooch she gave me while I went out to work and Nate showed his. She saw the uncanny resemblance and looked at our son. She cried tears of joy and embraced her.

"Your resemblance to your father and I is clear," Sumia said, "You really are my son."

"Thanks for recognizing me quickly, mom," he said with a smile, "My sisters were usually dad's favorite."

"Sisters?!" Both Sumia and I said in surprise.

"Hehehe, right," he said, "I have two younger sisters, though, I don't know where they are exactly."

"Are you guys done?" a certain friend asked.

I turned to see Chrom with "Marth", or in this case, Lucina. Both he and Olivia were with their future daughter and the Exalt beckoned me to come.

"Let's get going," Chrom said, "The early bird gets the worm after all."

* * *

**Ship toward Feroxi Harbor**

Validar ordered their vessels to go to Feroxi Harbor to supply the Ylissean and Feroxi troops for battle. We had to be there as well of course, but the Shepherds stayed in a commanding vessel. We were currently taking a ship that went for Feroxi Harbor, and I stood on the deck. I practiced my sword drawing techniques for a while, but I took a rest and let the winds of the sea chill out my heated body. I listened to "Upon the Sky", a fitting theme for a boat voyage.

"Hey, Alec," I heard my wife's voice. She stood beside me and looked out into the ocean. Despite me wearing headphones, I put them to a respectable volume so I could converse with her.

"Hi, Sumia, something bothering you?" I asked.

"Well, I've been wondering," I looked at her face and she was clearly flustered, "When do you think we'll make Nate?"

I was clearly embarrassed from her question. We're in a war, and if she were to be pregnant during battle, it would cause problems.

"I-I'm just asking, y-you know, when after all of this ends," she said.

She came close to me and hugged my arm. Her face shivered from my arm, which is cold from the winds. Nonetheless, her tenderness warmed up both heart and body so I drew her in close.

"Henry is actually a good person," Sumia said, "I don't get what all this prejudice is."

I want to tell her about my dreams, yet I'm afraid to say so. She would tell me to discard it as an excuse for treating Henry like shit.

"... Sumia, it's okay to be friends with him, but can you not get too... intimate?" I said.

"Yeah, after all," she spun around until she was in front of me and I hugged her as her body faced forward, "You're my husband."

I chuckled to myself lightly and held her hand tenderly. We both smiled to each other with loving and caring smiles.

"I love you so much, Sumia. It hurts not saying it," I said sweetly.

"I love you too, Alec. Promise you'll be mine, and mine alone, forever," her voice was sweet and innocent.

"Alec," a low voice called out.

I turned to my back to see Lon'qu. He smiled from seeing my intimate moment with my wife.

"Something up, Lon'qu?" I asked.

"I... want to converse with you. Alone."

The flapping of wings was heard. A silver wyvern landed beside me; my future son being the rider. He got off Cugar and looked at my wife.

"Hey mom, let's see which of our steeds are faster," Nate challenged her.

"All right, but be careful, Tana had many years of service to Ylisse," she said with a challenging grin.

Sumia and Nate waved goodbye to me as they went to their steeds. Lon'qu and I were alone, so we can converse freely without anyone here.

"What's up?" I asked.

"It's about um... Cherche," he said nervously.

"Lon'qu, I thought you were homosexual," I said jokingly.

He drew his sword and nearly touched my neck with it. I was taken aback from his sudden action. The glare was cold, cold as Ferox way up north.

"... Well, I'm not and um... Cherche struck me in a vital point," he said nervously.

While I wasn't Dr Love or Mr Matchmaker, I still tried my best to help Lon'qu as much as possible.

"Vital point, what do you mean by vital point?" I asked.

"... She brought up my past, and um... I'm not sure what to do."

"What happened in your past?" I asked.

"I... really don't want to talk about it," Lon'qu said looking away from me.

"If you won't, then how can I help you?"

"I wanted your help, but do I need to tell you my past?" this reply made my eye twitch. Lon'qu gripped his sword hard.

I drew both of my swords and glared at him. He squinted his eyes and drew two Killing Edges. Is he that hell-bent on defending himself from telling me about his past?

"Lon'qu, if I draw first blood, you have to tell me about your past," I said.

"And if I win?"

"I'll leave you alone."

Lon'qu scoffed with a cold frown and got into position.

"Do you really think you can beat me?" Lon'qu said in gruff arrogance.

"I don't need to beat you, I just need to draw first BLOOD!" I charged in fast, using my telekinetic power to propel me forward.

"How?!" he clashed my blades in time with both of his swords. His eyes showed complete surprise from my gap closer.

When we rebounded our blades, Lon'qu charged at me. He threw one swing with his blade, which I blocked with two swords. His eyes widened as if he perceived something and was prepared to throw a stab at my chest. Lon'qu's swings are swift and training with him back then, I'd usually fail to block or parry his strikes. But today, I've faced someone with a quicker blade, so I saw this coming. Seeing the path, I quickly swung both swords to my left and hopped to my right before his blade impaled me. Lon'qu's face showed surprise.

"How are you able to dodge my stab?"

Lon'qu then dashed at me with his surprising agility. I entered a drawing stance, preparing for the moment of truth. As soon as he was close, I drew my sword, but before the blade fully came out, he disappeared. I quickly did a spinning slash in conjunction with casting Rexcalibur. As soon as I rotated fully, I saw a series of kunais surrounding me. I looked around me. Is he going to attack me on my left? Right? Behind? Above? Below? Front? I heard a "Hmph" from behind me. I grabbed one katana and switched pointed it at my chest. I heard Lon'qu utter a "Huh?" and I immediately saw him behind me. I pretended to stab myself and my katana's tip touched the area between both eyes. It didn't cut deep enough, but it ensured my victory.

"Looks like... I win?"

"No."

I saw him on my right, about to put his blade on my neck. I swung to my right, but Lon'qu guarded it with his bladed vambraces. He threw a powerful kick, but I managed to clench the boot in time with my legs. I realized I dropped my other katana when I faked my self mutilation. I saw it on the ground and levitated it until it neared his neck. Lon'qu was surprised from the floating sword and immediately swatted it off with his vambraces. He did a back flip and prepared a drawing pose. He flipped the sheath upside down as to prevent a needless casualty. I did the same, as Lon'qu is a valuable ally and friend. The wind blew strong today. I looked around us and saw the Shepherds witnessing our match. Even Sumia was there, and she was watching in awe as we were both about to strike. As soon as I drew my blade, he drew his at the same time. A brief flash was seen as our blades shone in the sunlight. We both charged at each other and swung through each other with our dull edges. As soon as our quick draw moment was finished, we were both facing our backs to each other. Lon'qu suddenly cringed and fell to his knees shortly before I did too. My hip hurt from the powerful draw sword technique, yet I was lucky I could still breathe another day.

Challenging Shin'ta, who was unparalleled in speed and mastery of the blade proved to be great experience in battle. After a few bouts with him, I managed to learn how to swing faster and quickly spot speedy swings too. Even with that learned, Shin'Ta was actually much more powerful than he was when I fought him as he said and he said that if he were to fight me as Asura, I wouldn't have lived to tell the tale.

"All right, you win," he said gruffly.

* * *

We stayed inside for now. Sumia wrapped my lower stomach in bandages, covering the bruise that Lon'qu afflicted me with. Sumia was clearly disappointed in my stupid little fight, and she nagged at me about how it could have been done. I used Lon'qu's arrogance and a challenge as an excuse, but she still continued to scold me. Lon'qu was helped by Cherche, but Lon'qu reluctantly allowed her to, much to the lady's discomfort. Once the maidens finished nurturing our wounds, they both left us to talk to each other.

"... Here's how it went," Lon'qu began.

I nodded, confirming I have his attention.

"When I was young, I was a boy from the slums in Chon'sin. Weak, useless, and scummy. I thought my life was pointless, but there was one girl who gave me purpose and meaning. Her name was Ke'ri. She didn't care if I was in the slums or not, she just talked to me like I'm her equal. She introduced me to the way of the sword, and despite the tough methods of learning them, we enjoyed our company nonetheless."

"This was before you had a fear of woman, right?" I said.

"Before, I had no fear of being close to a woman, but Ke'ri was one of the reasons why. One normal day, we were attacked by bandits. Bigger, tougher men who preyed on the weak to prove their strength. Ke'ri and I fought them with all we could, but in the end, the girl I got close with died in the end."

"How painful," I said, giving him pity, "Do you truly fear Cherche might end up like Ke'ri?"

"Let me finish, please?" Lon'qu requested silently.

"I'm sorry," I shook my head to myself, but Lon'qu scoffed quietly.

"No hard feelings, Alec," he said, "My parents blamed me for her death, and because of my weakness, I ran away from my home and went to Ferox. I had to train harder. I had to become stronger, because that's what Ke'ri wanted to see me do: Continue to live, continue to grow strong for her sake."

He sighed and looked at me with his gruff eyes.

"There. That's my past story," he said, "Now what are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to help you," I said, "You said Cherche brought up your past, right? How did she know?"

"... She claimed to have met Ke'ri's parents. She said to have saved them from the same bandits that killed their very daughter right when they assaulted them."

"So, why do you care?"

"I... um, I feel like she's not like any other woman in here," he said, "She's strong, courteous, as well as very persistent. I just want to know if she really did meet her parents."

"...So, how else are you gonna know?" I said with a shrug. This was a test. If he wanted to know the truth, then he has to pursue it. I can't figure out the truth for him; he has to look for it for himself.

"What do you suggest?" Lon'qu asked, his face showing inquisitiveness. This man needs some serious help.

"Talk to her," I simply replied, "If you want to know the truth whether she saw it or not, go talk to her and hear what she has to say. You have to face your fears if you want to overcome them. It's called experience."

"... Fine. But one more question."

"Go ahead."

"Why are you helping me?"

I snickered with a friendly smile on my face. I put on my jacket and pointed to myself with my thumb.

"I'm your friend, Lon'qu. It's only natural that I want to help you. You helped me become stronger, so it's natural that I too want to help you too."

Lon'qu smiled silently. He stood up and left to the deck. Before he entered the door, he looked back, still smiling.

"Thank you, friend."

* * *

**Mess Hall**

I sat down on the table with Sumia and Nate beside me. Cherche was on mess duty and tonight, she cooked a rice meal with cooked beef. She says she learned this cuisine from Chon'sin, who have a tradition with eating rice. For some reason, I have an innate love for rice, and I was one of the first people who ate the rice madly... Well, Nate too, mostly because he has seen me eating rice in the future. Nate turned to me while covering his mouth partially.

"Hey dad, where do I sleep? Where does Cugar sleep?" he asked.

"Ask Chrom, son," I replied while covering my mouth with my hand too.

"You can sleep with us if you want," Sumia suggested, causing both Nate and I to blush madly. Sumia seemed to be sensitive to this reaction.

"Oh, I knew that that suggestion would be stupid," she was about to cry, but I pat her back to comfort her.

"Well, he can sleep there next time," I said quietly... with a suggestive tone, "Because tonight, I'm feeling desperate."

She giggled from my forward approach. She seemed to like it as seen through that blush.

* * *

**Feroxi Harbor**

Chrom took care of looking over the supplies being loaded in. Before we would set sail, I thought of a plan. Since Valm would send extra ships to invade Feroxi Harbor again, I made it so that a few ships would go in front while the rest of the other ships go way behind. Flavia mentioned about oil being one of our supplies from Plegia, so I might have some use for it.

Nate appeared before me, walking on foot. I realized that his scabbard was on his right, meaning he uses his left hand. I wonder if he was naturally left handed, or I taught him to be ambidextrous?

"Hey son," I said casually, "Something wrong?"

"Well, not really," he said with a smile, "I just came to see how you're doing."

"Speaking of well-being, can you tell me about your sisters?" I asked with a gleam of interest in my eyes.

"Well, the middle child is Cynthia, she's a bit of a klutz like your mother, but at serious situations, she can be very innovative like you," my son said.

"So um, is she hot?" I said jokingly.

"Dad! Do you already have the hots for your own future daughter?!" he said worriedly.

I laughed from his reaction. I'm not sure if he knew I was joking or not, because I'm usually a kill-joy when dissecting jokes.

"I'm kidding, but from what I heard from Lucina, she traveled through time with other people from the future," I said, "Where do you think Cynthia is?"

Nate scratched his head, showing that he's not exactly sure of her exact whereabouts. I raised my brow as if he clumsily forgot.

"Well?"

"Sorry for the delay, dad, but when we went back in time, we were scattered around random places. I was actually the last one to enter the door. I fought as Morpheus, my alter ego as well as my own fantasy hero to prevent any unnecessary commotion in the past."

"Heh, like father, like son," I said with a refreshing chuckle.

My son showed me his mask. It was a mask that covered the upper half of the face, leaving the mouth open. Decorated on the mask was a night sky motif.

"So, what will you do with that mask, son?"

"I want you to have it," he said, "I no longer fight as Morpheus. I am now a soldier under your command, as well as your son."

He drew his sword with his left hand and revealed to me his Orobas. This time, Orobas wasn't inscribed near the hilt, much to my surprise. It was his name that was inscribed in Orobas's place.

"My name is Nate, son of the Frenzied Tactician, Alec," he said with a proud and stern voice, "And I shall be at the service of you and the Shepherds. I will fight so that this ruinous future wouldn't ever happen."

I smiled at his little act. It was laughable, but I knew my son would be easily embarrassed if he saw me laughing at him. I can sense heart and feeling in that speech.

"That was pretty cool, Nate," I said while applauding slowly, "You really had the spirit of a warrior in that speech. I'll keep this mask, so that this Nate will inherit it."

"You know, my dad never really told me where he got that mask," he said with a casual smile.

"It would be pretty weird if this mask was the same mask that future me gave to you," I said while chuckling.

"That's technically impossible to do, considering it has no true origins."

"Yeah, that's true," I said, "That's called a bootstrap paradox or something like that."

"What's that?"

"Making an object exist without it having an origin, like for example: Cynthia inherits a lance from his mother, and goes back in time to give it to Sumia's mother who passes it on to her successor, which is Sumia."

"Yeah, but where did it come from?" Nate was clearly confused.

"Exactly, paradoxes are confusing as hell," I said, "The point of the bootstrap paradox is to give people something that has no exact origin."

I put the mask inside my coat pocket and checked on the status of our main ship. Chrom came out of the door and looked at me with a nod.

"Are we ready, Captain?" I asked.

"Yes," he simply replied as he beckoned us to come.

Both father and son walked toward the ship. The sun was up high with some clouds blocking the way. It reminds me of the time Sumia and I got married. I picked up my bag and slung it on my shoulder. I had to get ready, for the Valmese could come in at any moment.

* * *

**Author's Note**

I made it a bit shorter as to showcase Alec and Nate's father-son relationship.

I thought Nate was never used in the actual FE games, but surprisingly, I found out that Nate was actually a prototype wyvern rider unit who was possibly replaced by Cormag. I was about to name Nate Genarog, but it would be a bit of copying, as Cormag's wyvern is named Genarog, and Cugar is the Japanese name for Cormag. But all in all, Nate is technically an unused name in the FE series, so I just went with it. Plus, Nate's a pretty cool name.

Fun Fact: Did you know the default voice of male Robin (David Vincent) also voiced Jin Kisaragi from Blazblue?

Make your avatar blonde with hair #2 and give him voice 1 and put him up with Cordelia or Severa. What do you get? An indirect ship between Jin and Tsubaki (because Julie Ann Taylor voices Tsubaki, Cordelia, and Severa... though Cordelia sounds much more similar to Tsubaki).

Hmmm... so once again, any reviews are appreciated. Once again, this isn't a full retelling of the story, so expect some of the chapters to be skipped. Also, I'll put Nate's quotes in my profile once I think of it.

Speaking of Nate, new poll up. Whichever gets the highest vote in two weeks will have their whole support convo in Strayed from the Sword... and maybe some spice. *smirks in perverted manner*

Just so you know, I'm aware of Henry's backstory. I know it's sad, but I still don't like him. Nowi is much more fitting for a happy-go-lucky attitude, even if she's 1000 years old. Sadly, I'm never putting Nowi with him... ever (Gods, I sound like a dad).

I've already decided Nate's ship by the way. I'm just seeing which one do you want Nate to end up with.


	27. Ylissean SEALs

**Disclaimer**

I don't own Intelligent Systems, but I think I do have full ownership of my OCs IIRC.

**Chapter 25**

**Ylissean SEALs**

While everyone prepared for war in their ship, Chrom and I looked eastward. The Khans and Lissa were by our side as well as Lucina and my son, soldiers who were close to the leaders in battle. Both of us turned to the group behind us and Chrom started.

"You know, sometimes I wish that we could have used some sort of mass aerial transport or something," I said with a disgruntled look, "Looking at the sea this close makes me anxious."

"What's the matter, Alec?" Chrom said with concern, "Do you not know how to swim?"

"I can swim as long as I can see the bottom," I replied.

Chrom smiled and shook his head.

"You're not alone, Alec, Nowi and Sully don't know how to swim either," he said, "But rest assured, these ships will keep us safe."

Him saying that gave me some confidence in sailing. But still, mass aerial transport would be ideal and awesome. Just wonder how will they accomplish it?

"Thanks, pal," I said to Chrom with a smile.

Chrom turned to his daughter, and so did she to her father.

"Lucina, is this your first voyage?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, father. In my time, the ships were destroyed alongside the ports by the cataclysm brought down upon us," she said with a forlorn frown.

"I can agree with her too," Nate said, "I've seen how shitty life was in our time."

"Hey Lucina, how come you never stayed with us right after we prevented her assassination?" I asked.

Lucina kept her frown and shook her head.

"I didn't want to alter history further as well," she said, "I came here to only prevent the events that would lead up to Grima's uprising."

Huh. I was about to rebut with the War on Plegia being a fight against Grima's revival, but really, the war was only for political purposes... and to stop the tyranny of a mad king.

"What would have happened if you didn't prevent those guys who attacked Chrom?" Lissa asked the blue haired maiden.

"My father would suffer great wounds, which would lead up to much more tragic events," Lucina replied.

Lissa was surprised from hearing this. Ultimately, she smiled in her usual casual self from our time's result not paralleling Lucina's time.

"It's good that you changed fate, right?" Lissa said.

"It seems the river of time always favored its original course," Lucina said with a sadder frown, "Emmeryn still ended up dying."

"You did what you could, Lucina," Chrom replied with a neutral expression.

Lucina started to sadly mumble to herself about what she could have done. Lucina's little hindsight made me feel like hers and my dreams might be connected. I'm not entirely sure yet.

"You did your best," Chrom said with an assertive voice, "You saved me after all."

"... You're too kind, father," Lucina said, unchanged by his kindness, "But fate may find a way to reorchestrate your death again."

"So, how did I die?" Chrom asked her daughter.

"I heard you fell in a great battle to sway your destiny," Lucina said.

"Great battle?" I said to myself silently.

"...and you were murdered- betrayed by your closest friend," Lucina finished with her sad look still upkept.

The glimpse of mad imagery blasted through my head like a rain of arrows from a legion of snipers. Chrom was impaled by a lightning bolt and I saw many of my allies mutilated beyond recognition. Then the final image was that of me, affixed to a curved mechanism. I was in a lair full of unborn babies and was mutilated like my comrades.

I fell to the ground, sitting with my hands clenching my head. I felt a searing pain, emotionally, mentally, and physically. I clenched my eyes from a high pitched noise being heard. After the noise passed, my hearing returned to normal.

"Dad, are you okay?!" Nate said as he helped me up. I smiled at my son's charity.

"Thank you... my son," I said with a weak smile, "My head just hurt, but I'm still in fine condition."

"Can you stand?" Lissa asked with clear concern for my health.

"Yeah, I can," I said, my voice regaining strength.

After recovering from my little migraine, Lucina continued.

"After Grima rose and father fell, I took up the name Marth and fought back. I prayed to the Hero-King to lend me his strength to retaliate against the Fell Dragon and save the world."

She drew her sword and looked at the sheen of Falchion. I think from her point of view, she can see her father. A smile curved on her lips.

"But now I fight as Marth no longer. I now fight as me, Lucina," she said with pride, "The name that reminds me of the strength of the man and woman who conceived me and chose it."

Both Chrom and I smiled at her smiling face. Lucina, the remaining sliver of light in the dark future. To bring light back to a dark and barren world. No matter how long darkness dwells, a small light can later illuminate the world. This is why she's called Lucina.

* * *

**An hour later.**

"I'm back, honey," Sumia said as she landed beside me. She got off her pegasus and embraced me.

"How was the scouting, darling?" I asked my wife.

"It was fine," she said with a smile, "We managed to get some valuable information without getting caught."

Cordelia landed beside her and looked at me with a war-ready look.

"Alec, they have three lead ships with an armada holding at least a million men in total," Cordelia announced. Hearing a million men being in that ship made me cringe.

"The three lead ships match the size of ours, Alec," Sumia said, "What's worse is that they're leading the charge."

"The good thing is that they're still far from us," Cordelia added with a relieved look, "We still have time to prepare."

I looked around in case there were any ships close by. There weren't any around at the moment, so we had a bit of a breather.

Chrom and Lissa as well as the Khans entered the scene again. They were helping prepare the the Shepherds' weapons while I reported what the pegasus knight scouts discovered.

"All of our weapons are ready," Lissa said with her ever present smile, "Now, what did the pegasus knights report?"

I told them about the situation. While Chrom was initially relieved, he didn't allow the luxury of relaxing until they come. They could be attacking us any moment.

"So, have you thought of a plan, Alec?" Flavia asked, "We've gotta make full use of the supplies Plegia left for us. Especially the oil."

"The oil already gave me an idea, and this is why I positioned the boats carefully," I said.

"An idea from you is music to my ears, Alec," Chrom said with a grin.

"Yeah, ever since we found you in the field, you've changed considerably," Lissa added, "Destiny really has a strange way of letting you control the destiny of the Shepherds."

"Lissa, I'm not talking about destiny. In fact, we're not some pawns of some scripted fate. In fact, I don't care if we're in some sort of poorly written book. I actually believe our bonds have ascended the likes of destiny."

"Huh, what kind of hogwash are you talking about?" Basilio asked.

"There's like an invisible link that ties us together. And from what I noticed, these bonds, these invisible ties, they strengthen us. And I don't think it was destiny who forged it for us, but us. If our bonds are strengthened or destroyed, it's not some destiny that determined it, it was by our own choice."

"Alec...?" Lissa said, "I think Nate was right about you being the Frenzied Tactician."

Lissa and the others laughed lightly from her joke, though I didn't show much of a reaction.

"... I can admit I'm pretty deranged in battle, but it's time we discussed the plan."

* * *

**A few moments later**

"Are you crazy, man?!" Gaius said as he found our little group surrounded by three ships containing many soldiers.

"Gaius, you're gonna take a risky job," I said, "The Valmese have some good loot in their ships and I want you to use your lock picking skills to grab em."

"Well, who's going to go with me?" he asked with a shrug.

Tharja walked up to Gaius's side with a bloodthirsty smile. She summoned her Bolganone tome and Nosferatu tome and giggled.

"You'll also be going with Cordelia and Virion," I added.

"How about me?" Ricken asked.

"You and Miriel will provide magical support on the left side boat," I said, "Chrom, Olivia, Stahl, and Lissa will cover for you guys."

"Very well," Miriel levitated a Thoron tome with her Mend staff.

And now we need another two people to join in.

"Hey, dad, let me fight," Nate said as he readied his sword.

Nate already proved to be quite strong. I should let him join, but who will he join up with?

"Fine then, fight with your mother," I ordered.

I'm going to need a magical fighter alongside me. The only one left in my team is...

"Henry!" I called out, with a pang of regret.

I heard footsteps coming from the deck. The dark mage saluted with an optimistic smile.

"Yes?"

"Fight with me," I said, "Help me defend the back from the ship behind us."

"Hey, are you gonna toss me into the fray again?" he said with his smile still intact. This guy is seriously weirder than me.

"...No," I said seriously, "Stay close."

"Yes sir!"

For some reason, I smile at his loyalty. I'm still inquisitive about his loyalty, but I sure hope he's not trying to woo Sumia away from me. If I need to know the truth, I must stay close, but not too close, or else I might reconsider killing him.

"Shepherds, to arms!" Chrom commanded.

* * *

**A few battles later**

"Mom, they've got backup pegasus riders!" Nate said.

We managed to clear the "ground" forces in the two ships but the commander one. A sudden surge of pegasus knights burst into the fray. We have efficient anti-airs plus anti-beasts on our side. As long as we maintain a defend Miriel and Ricken, the mission will be a success.

"Nate, Sumia, Virion, and Cordelia, fight off the pegasus knights," I said, "Henry and I will face the leader."

"Roger, dad," Nate replied as he took flight.

Henry and I moved to the last ship. Ever since Chrom and the others put up that defensive front, the forces in the last ship have been shaved down to 0, leaving the nervous commander. Despite his desperate state, he kept a serious look was still willing to put up a fight. Henry and I approached him with our weapons ready.

"Do you think my decreased force will demoralize me?" the commanding general asked, "No matter the situation, I will still continue to fight."

"I'm assuming your a Valmese patriot," I replied while brandishing my sword, "I appreciate your nationalism, but Ylisse is Ylisse, not Valm.

The man laughed at my reply. This laugh wasn't a joyful one, more like an arrogant one.

"Tell that to Chon'sin, Roseanne! They're now all under the Valmese army's control. This is our manifest destiny, tactician, go ahead and fight fate. Fate has already locked us in place," he put on his helmet and got ready for battle.

"Sorry pal, but this is why I don't rely on 'fate'," I said as I charged my sword with electricity, "Henry, use Ruin!"

"All right," he said with glee as he summoned purple spikes to immobilize the general.

I closed in the distance with my charged blade, only for it to be blocked by his shield. The electricity surged through his shield which electrocuted his armor, effectively paralyzing him.

"Hey, let me have a turn," Henry said as he summoned three lightning bolts above the knight. I managed to back off in time, keeping me from being electrocuted.

"Heh, is that all, sonny?!" he still stood strong, "Magic swordsman, your magic is worthy, but that dumb Plegian ain't."

He roared as he threw his lance at Henry. I quickly blocked the lunge with my sword, protecting Henry.

"Alec?!" Henry's closed eyes expressed surprise/

"I may hate you a lot, but I can't stand to watch my allies die," I said with an angry tone, "Stay away from my wife, or I'll give you a permanent smile."

Henry used his Arcthunder tome to electrify the knight's armor, yet he was unyielding to the magic, managing to swing both Henry and I with his lance. We were hit by the blunt edge, but the force was still vehement. We were both knocked toward the edge, but I was the one hanging on the ledge. I saw Henry falling and managed to grab his hand in time.

"Henry... I hope you can use telekinesis to levitate yourself," I said.

"Why?"

I let him go and he screamed as he fell, but I used the Rexcalibur tome to launch him up high. I grabbed the ledge with both hands and climbed back up, only for the hulking knight to stand in front of me.

"It's over."

"Not this time!"

Cugar soared in above me and used his claws to drag the victim on the ground. Nate and Henry were riding on Cugar, much to my relief. Cugar took a leap back and chomped off his shield. Despite this, the knight punched Cugar in the face and pushed him aside.

"Nate?!"

"Damn, did I grow rusty over the years?" he said, "Nope."

Nate got up and fought the knight by himself. He managed to hold his own despite the knight being seasoned in the art of the spear. As they clashed their blades together, I saw Nate look at me and winked. It must be some sort of signal.

I grabbed my Thoron tome and examined my right hand. The usual golden electricity's hue has shifted into a mixture of blue and purple tones. I felt something land beside me, revealing Sumia with her own Thoron tome ready.

"We'll finish this together," she said smiling.

"Yeah," we both looked at the busy knight and fired a beam of electricity through the knight. Nate jumped up high and commanded Cugar to fly away as soon as we shot our beams of electricity.

"Graaagh!" he screamed in agony and soon knelt to the ground despite the large cavities in his chest.

"Go ahead, kill me. Ten more people will take my place," he said.

"Where will those 10 people be when I take over your harbor?" I asked.

He didn't respond and soon succumbed to his wounds. The commanding fleets were emptied, but as I expected, the backup fleets came in.

Now with four boats in our possession, this was enough to cause an immediate wildfire on their fleets. Cherche and Nate helped with placing the heavy oil kegs on the boats. Luckily for me, I knew that if we were to keep our possessions here, we would have a harder time to escape. I've only brought a few people with me; Cherche and a few others in reserve.

"The general's down, Chrom," I said as I manned the boat the commander was in.

"I've got this boat ready," Basilio said as he stood proudly on the boat on our right.

"The boat's loaded and I've assumed direct control," Cordelia said as she manned the boat behind our boat.

"All right, the fleet isn't too far, so we have time to position it," Chrom said.

As soon as we we were parallel to each other, Chrom gave the signal to charge in full speed ahead. As soon as our boats crashed into them, we evacuated. The soldiers got into life boats while some of the fliers with mages on their backs ignited the oil kegs with their fire tomes. The result was a massive fire explosion. The blast of the explosion from the amount of oil kegs we placed made a large explosion that could reach around 4 fleets each. As soon as the soldiers started panicking, we used this state of mind to drop oil kegs into any remaining fleets while the magicians ignited the barrels. Sooner or later, the blue sea has turned a fiery red, colored by both blood and fire.

I was riding on Sumia's pegasus and both of us watched the cataclysm ensuing.

"For something so chaotic..."

"I've never thought it would be so beautiful," Sumia finished.

We looked at each other and slowly closed the distance. We kissed for a few seconds before looking at each other with lusting faces.

"Are you willing to do it after this?" I asked.

"...Maybe~" she replied playfully.

"I really don't get nor care how such destruction could make it so romantic," I said to Sumia.

"Maybe it's a result of your creative thinking," she said, "And I never knew success by cataclysm could look very beautiful."

Tana flew us back to one of the backup vessels. As we escaped to the remaining fleets, the air shifted from musky to fresh as we escaped from the smoke. When we landed, the Ylissean and Feroxi troops welcomed a hero and a heroine. Applause was heard from both nation's soldiers. I gestured the crowd to silence, as if I was gonna make a speech.

"I need some sleep," I mumbled, "...with my wife."

Ever since I got into my game-face mode, I put aside all necessities in order to orchestrate my master plan as well as prepare for combat. In short, I was hungry, tired, thirsty... and I needed to go to the washroom. Whenever I'm in my "War Groove", I'm restless, relentless, as well as awake. My knees kissed the ground harshly and I shouted to the skies.

"I'M SOOOO TIRED!" I shouted, "I need some sleep."

And then I dropped into the floor.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Hmm... so I guess I'll tone down on Alec's hatred for Henry. But will Henry's twisted mind be toned down? Alec still has a sword ready to kill that fuck. But don't worry, this won't just be focused on killing Henry; there are bigger events planned.

Here's another personality trait about Alec: He's paranoid. But don't worry, he's not psychotically paranoid. Alec has his wife by his side, and he knows that he'll do anything to make his wife happy and safe, but he's very protective of his wife... and so is she.

I'll be working on the lemon chapter as well as the next Chapter; I've finished writing this the day after I finished Chapter 24.

But yeah here's the thing: Someone will die in the Shepherds. Can you guess who? Also Fun Fact: The victim(s?) has(ve?) died many times.


	28. Tsunami at Valm Harbor

**Author's Note**

Well, between you and I, I was about to put in another OC. She was called Yume'ichi, and she would be an assassin from Chon'sin. I scrapped that idea because it would cause much less focus on Alec and Sumia's interactions. Also, she wouldn't have made any good impact to the story.

**Chapter 26**

**Tsunami at Valm Harbor**

Before we were to unload our supplies on Valmese soil, Chrom, Frederick and I stood on the beach and surveyed the land. There were some heavily armed men, especially those Dark Knights. If the Valmese harbor really was the main hub for the Valmese ships, then taking over this would ensure that Ylisse won't have to worry about anymore naval invasions from the Valmese.

"It looks like we're facing another large force," Chrom commented, "Once again, the Valmese have an abundance of knights and horseback fighters."

"Not only that, milord," Frederick added, "They have additional mages, especially the horseback ones."

"Dark Knights: Users of both sword and tome. They use a mixture of hybrid power and defense," I commented.

Armor clattering was heard in the distance. A legion of knights chased a woman who carried two Killing Edge sheathes, but the swords were absent. My friends and I were clearly surprised and needed to take action.

"Well, there goes my supposed break," I said with a yawn, "But I guess resting in a boat for at least a week or two is enough."

"You'll have your break when we're done, Alec," Frederick said with a serious stare, "Now let us make preparations."

* * *

**A few minutes later**

As much as I wanted to fight alongside my wife, I wanted to have some time with Nate. Cugar purred from me petting him before Nate launched into the skies. Lucina proved to be a powerful combatant, using a mixture of Chrom's pure power and speed with Olivia's grace and agility. Nate really did take after me and he has also proven to be able to use those mysterious purple flames.

My people were seasoned, so they were strong enough to face this large amount of soldiers, while only a small force took the beach area. That small force consisted of Virion and Cordelia, and Nate and I.

Basilio, after seeing Virion's improved archery, gave him an ancient bow he has kept in his castle for a while (he's good at bows, though he prefers axes). Astra was the name of that bow, and it's magical power allowed the wielder to use a powerful 5 blow technique, hence the bow's name being Astra. After thinking of cool bow techniques and jotting them down on my notebook, I went to Virion and showed him what I thought of, and to my surprise, he had been trying out with a normal bow.

My idea was an arrow rain move. He would fire a multitude of arrows and squish them up as if he's about to fire one arrow. It's a high angle and altitude shot; good for clearing out ground units and groups of pegasus knights if they were close.

"Shall I make you Valmese famous?" he aimed his Astra bow up into the sky and fired while shouting: "Astral Shower!"

He fired five volleys into the air and after a moment, a hail of arrows scattered among the unlucky Valmese knights and cavaliers on the sand. The four focused on the lesser units, immediately killing most of the cavaliers while grievously wounding the knights. The Dark Knight and the General survived using their Aegis skill; the Dark Knight must have been a seasoned Paladin. Despite this, the Dark Knight still suffered some wounds. I saw the last volley of arrows falling and I held them in a telekinetic grip. The arrows stayed in place, but changed its direction through my own will. I forcefully shot it down toward the General's legs, making its already troublesome mobility decrease into immobility. Nate grabbed a Levin Sword from the holster on the right side of his saddle and finished off the armored knight. The knight fell heavily into the sands of the beach.

"I've got the horseback mage, Alec!" Cordelia said as she lobbed her short spear to the dark knight precisely. The dark knight's life ended as it pierced through his chest.

"Area clear," I said, "We should help the others up north."

"Roger," Cordelia said as she commanded her steed to fly toward the town.

Chrom and his squadron formed a small phalanx as to force reinforcements to keep on attacking them. The healers/casters provided good support while the front line fighters defended them. As soon as the forces decreased, Chrom and Lucina moved toward the cornered woman. Despite being unarmed, she was quite agile, but her agility couldn't hold up long as the whole chase tired her out.

"Dad, I've got an idea," Nate said before he whispered into my ear.

"Got it," I nodded and we both hopped off of Cugar.

We landed in front of the lady in captivity and we brandished our Levin Swords. I still wonder how Gangrel could do it, but with this, I can strike them with slashes based on my magical power. In fact, Gangrel used a technique that made him lightning itself. Even though, I could still defeat these knights with this sword alone.

As the knights charged at us, Cugar came in front of us and roared at the knights, causing them to flinch from his mighty roar.

"Lady, hop on the wyvern for now," Nate said.

She nodded sternly despite the situation and our status of being strangers to her. She jumped on Cugar and ascended into the skies.

"Let's do this," Nate said as his magical energy into his sword.

"All right!" I charged my blade with electricity and clashed it with his.

We formed an X with the blades and pointed our blades at the knights. Chains of electricity transferred from mine to his and vice-versa.

"Levin Sword Dual Technique: Storm Plague!"

A thick stream of electricity shot toward one knight and transferred the deadly lightning toward the others. As soon as we finished the combination move, Cugar landed beside us and allowed the woman to dismount. When we turned to her, Chrom caught up and conversed with her. Nate and I visited the house next to us, leaving the two to talk. I knocked on the door and saw a village maiden who initially had a look of dread, but immediately warmed up to see us wearing the blue garbs of Ylisse. She looked around and didn't see any Valmese nearby.

"That sword," she commented, "Are you the Indra of Ylisse?"

"... I guess, but this 'Indra' is here to save Valm from this conqueror's reign," I said.

"Oh, thank the Gods, if you're with the Blade Princess, Say'ri, then it's a relief that the Indra would join sides," she said with a smile.

"Instead of calling me Indra, how about calling me, Alec?" I asked, "Of course, just between you and I."

"All right, Alec," she said in a hushed voice, "I shall give whatever I can to contribute to your cause."

She went back into her house and came out with a large Bullion. I never really asked for this, but I'm still grateful to her generosity. She quickly shut the door as soon as I received the gift.

"Pardon me, Alec," the lady said, "I am Say'ri, Blade Princess of Chon'sin, but may I ask to loan a blade from thine waistband?"

I drew out Andras, my strongest sword in my arsenal and gave it to her with the addition of the sheathe. Her garbs suggest that she has ample experience as a swordsman.

"My gratitude, Alec," she said with a grateful smile before charging toward a group of cavaliers.

She quickly slew a horseman with one deadly yet precise swing with her sword and sheathed it with grace. The remaining cavaliers ganged up on her, but she performed an unusual technique. She used her front foot to step backward as if she was walking away from them and then spun around. She entered a preparatory stance with an unusual mix that left those cavaliers surprised. Three static images of Say'ri performing different stances flashed out as she slowly slid backward. One cavalier attempted to stab her, but she and the other doppelgangers disappeared in a flash. The sound of flourishing steel was heard tearing through the air as if the wind was manipulated to become sharp invisible swords.

"What kind of technique is that, dad?" Nate said in awe.

"It's a powerful Swordmaster technique that Lon'qu had told me about," I said, "The technique is a powerful technique, using extremely high speed to emulate a multi-man high speed massacre."

Say'ri appeared in front of them while spinning to her left, sword out. She used the momentum to prepare a final drawing stance. As soon as she went to a complete halt, her sword has already been fully sheathed. The blade flashed as she drew it and she soon disappeared in a second with the same flourishing steel sound from before and appeared again afterward. This time, she faced away from them and sheathed her sword in her scabbard. The cavaliers suddenly fell with massive amounts of sword wounds opening.

"Shinsoku-no-ryu: Kishin no Orochi."

She smiled from her work and allowed us to proceed. More cavaliers and magicians came in to attack. Chrom ran toward Say'ri and drew his blade alongside hers.

"Alec, we'll take care of the other forces, take down the commander!"

"All right, Chrom," I said, "You heard the man, Nate."

He snickered and Cugar launched forward. I hung on to the saddle with all I could from the high speed. When we were nearing the commander, Cugar performed a weird move. He leaned backward and let his tail grind the floor while he stretched his feet outward. For some reason, he kept on accelerating despite the friction the tail caused. Cugar's talons grabbed both the rider and the horse and he pinned them down. Cugar huffed in air as his mouth shone a bright orange. Before he could breathe out fire, a green tornado surrounded us and launched the three of us away from him. Cugar was susceptible to wind magic and both Nate and I had low resistance. I had to end this quick. I grabbed my sword and tome and ran to him.

"Huh, think you can touch me?" He used a technique that diffused the Rexcalibur tome into four smaller tornadoes that spiraled around him. I used my wind tome to push me backwards, getting me away from the vacuum of his tornadoes. His horse walked slowly toward me with the dancing tornadoes still in sight.

"How's this?" I tossed rock at one of his tornadoes and it suddenly flew back at a strong speed. I managed to block the rock throw, though my arms hurt from blocking such a forceful lob.

"You can't even lay a finger on me with my wind barrier!"

Nate attempted to attack him from above, but the magic knight saw through it and surrounded himself in a green tornado, pushing the wyvern rider back. He grinned confidently as he grabbed another tome in his right hand.

"Two spells?!" I exclaimed as the pages of his tome fluttered wildly.

"Heh, mages these days are always using a spell by blasting them with their product," he commented, "But here, I use the product to make an even deadlier product!"

This is like commercialism or something. You buy a material or product and manufacture it into a better product, selling it for even more. It's kinda like how flexible magic is in and out of combat.

He telekinetically lifted boulders from the floor and covered them in fire via his Fire tome. I was appalled from his talent of using two tomes at once while using his mental/magical power to lift boulders that size. This guy is crazier than I thought.

"It's all over, 'Indra'!" he shouted, "Valmese Volcano!"

He utilized the tornadoes as a sort of launching mechanism for the 'meteors'. He accelerated the fireballs by spinning them constantly and flinging them at me. The speed of the flaming boulders were frightening, and I barely made it out alive. I dodged most of them, having experience from a similar fight with Shin'ta. He used an extremely fast technique on me that involved stabbing me at high speed. I traveled with him for about half a month and it took me that amount of time to memorize his stab rhythm.

"...Volcano?!" that means... wait, the sound of wind is... "Nate, I'm getting on!"

I jumped up high and Cugar went under me and let me on, flying away from the ground. I realized that because of his sudden disappearance in the midst of the volley of volcanic rocks was because he had a finisher. I looked behind me and saw the dark knight jumping up high; his horse a few inches below him. He held his sword with both hands, preparing a cleaving chop.

"Wait, how?!" I shouted.

Cugar saw the man and quickly turned to intercept the slash with his fangs. Cugar stayed strong, managing to even withstand the harsh landing by keeping his feet planted. A large plume of fire consumed both of us, covering us in searing agony. With a strike like this, I would have died gruesomely but...

"Not on my watch," Libra carried his Ward staff, using it to protect me from the fiery storm, "I can fight with magic too."

He unsheathed his bolt axe and discharged a surge of electricity into the mage. He managed to resist the electricity and telekinetically tossed a rock at Libra's wrists, effectively disarming him.

"Let's do this," Say'ri shouted, "Shinsoku-no-Ryu: Tsuchi-no-Raijin!"

Say'ri did a literal ground tearing dash with her sword tearing it up. Despite the power and speed, it realized it was never intended to tear through the opponent, but to set up something else. The horse got unbalanced from the sudden floor change, limiting its mobility.

"Repent Sinner!" Libra leapt up high and dug his Bolt Axe into the ground that Say'ri tore.

"Shit, we have to get as far away from here," I said to Nate.

Nate nodded and told Cugar to escape the area. We managed to be transported a safe distance and saw the horseman get engulfed by a fusion of electrical eruptions and other rubble that rose up. The smoke cleared up and the remains of the area revealed that he has disappeared.

"What? Where did you go?" Libra looked around while preparing to dig his Bolt Axe into the ground. The horseman suddenly charged to the War Monk's left side.

"Libra!" I shouted, "To your left!"

He turned to where I told him to and discovered the charging horseman. The dark knight was still injured, but he could still move with strong mobility. Cugar flew in front of Libra and intercepted the sword once again with his fangs. Nate threw an easy stab to the horseman's forearm with his sword, disabling his arm for a while. He looked at me and shouted: "Now!"

With my wind tome on my hand, I used it to propel myself toward the rider and threw a heavy clothesline that pushed him forward. He crashed into a wall, unarmed and injured. I grabbed him and positioned him behind me before jamming my hand into his stomach. He flinched in pain as I twisted my wrist and turned my torso toward away from him.

"This is the part where you scream!"

I conjured a powerful Thoron beam that pierced through his abdomen. A clean hole was formed on his abdomen as he screamed in agony and he soon fell into the ground, dead and defeated.

I wiped my brow from the victory achieved and smiled at the cloudy skies. The rest of the Valmese forces were dealt with swiftly before I defeated the commander. Even though I want to mourn for our enemies, I still have to remember that we're in a war, and the Valmese are ready to die for the sake of their cause. Say'ri approached us, cleaning my sword before sheathing it. She gave it to me and did a grateful bow.

"My gratitude, Indra," she said, "The sword thou hath wielded bears the power of a hero of yore and had been forged by an armorer."

"You're no joke with a sword, Say'ri," I replied, "And please, call me Alec. Though Indra has a good hook to it."

"Very well, Alec," she nodded.

Chrom approached us, sheathing his Falchion and facing the Say'ri.

"Chrom, this is Say'ri, the lady who was trapped by those knights," I said.

"Aye, you must be Chrom," she said to the prince.

"Yes, but how do you know?"

"Word of the Frenzied Tactician and the Exalt-to-be spread around Valm as soon as Plegia was liberated from Gangrel," Say'ri answered to Chrom's question, "Your actions have inspired several groups of each colony to rise up against the Valmese Conquest."

The Valmese, huh? It's good to know that we have allies on our side.

"So this is where I'm called the Frenzied Tactician," I said, "But why?"

"Plegian bandits have told of tales when you and the Mad King clashed blades. They say you fought like one who degraded into a beast."

I see, and it sorta makes sense. I looked at the mark on my hand briefly.

"... Moving on," Chrom said, "I thought the conqueror already slew all the rebels."

"Nay, Prince Chrom, for we're mobile and sneaky, preferring to strike quickly and phasing back into the shadows. Yet we suffer a massive flaw from gathering the dynasts."

Flavia and Basilio walked in and the woman raised her brow.

"Massive flaw? What may that be, Blade Princess?" Flavia asked.

"The sins of man infect their decisions. They desire liberation like us yet cannot swallow their pride for the sake of uniting on mutual terms."

"Basically, you're a rogue political mercenary group?" I said.

"Aye, Alec. Though liberty is a fine word, it's not enough to rouse them from foolishness."

"Fools use 'freedom' to only get what they desire, and surely, they just want the liberty of garnering the spoils," I said.

"My goodness," Flavia said with her head shaking, "Are you looking for another way to convince them?"

"Aye, Khan Flavia, though the success chance is meager," Say'ri had a sad look, "Many may mistrust me, I fear, because my brother fights for the Conqueror."

"What kind of madness does your brother suffer?" I asked.

"Yeah, why would HE support Walhart."

"I know nothing of the truth, good sir, but I no longer acknowledge Yen'fey as my brother from that action."

"Yen'fey?!" I exclaimed, "Your elder brother is Yen'fey?!"

Say'ri immediately had a surprised look.

"How do you know of my brother's name?"

"I've met the Asura and he said one of his greatest rivals were Yen'fey. From what I heard from him, he Yen'fey followed Asura on his journeys for a year and came back a much more powerful swordsman than he was."

"... Even you've met Asura," Say'ri said, her face filled with pity, "I've tried to seek his guidance, but he decides to just wander around the continent."

"What I really don't get is why Yen'fey, who was under Asura's tutelage for a whole year, decides to join the conqueror?"

"... I know not of the answer yet, friend," Say'ri said. She turned to Chrom, "But most of all, I need your help, Prince Chrom. Will you help me?"

"...How many are we facing against?" Chrom asked with a bit of anxiety from his current standing, "I've a halidom and future to protect."

"We face at least over a million men," Say'ri replied.

We were all surprised from the massive number of soldiers ready under Valmese control. Despite this, Say'ri had a smile on her face; one that basically shows determination.

"But you're the same Ylissean soldiers who killed a whole fleet. What is a million men to the Ylissean Dogs of War and their Frenzied Tactician?"

He came close to me and he confided.

"Could this be the great battle foretold?" he asked me.

"... I'm not sure, but if the Halidom is surely protected, then we must end Valm's conquest," I said.

* * *

**Valm Harbor Village**

We secured the area, using soldiers from Ylisse, Ferox, and some of the remaining dynasts in the Resistance. For now, we can rest here before making a move on the Valmese. I came out of a food vendor with a corn in my hands. I was too focused on looking at my corn that I forgot to see who is in front of me. Before I could apologize, I realized it was Nate.

"Nate? What's going on?"

"Dad, now that the situation's safe for now, it's time I gave you this," he showed me a rock with a sigil on it.

"What's this?"

"When I was young, you told me to keep this Outrealm relic as a treasure. It leads to a place where you unite with allies of a time of yore against others who have gained aid of outer realm warriors. You told me this is a place where you have fought one of the heroes and gained an ancient power that belongs to a King."

A power of a king. I'm no king myself, but what kind of power did I gain from Nate's timeline? Has he used these rocks before?

"So, how does this work?" I ask.

"I'm not so sure. Only you could do it for some reason," he replied, "You said you just focused your magic power into it."

"Okay, I'll try."

I took a deep breath and felt like I was using a tome when I was activating this power. Instead of orange texts surrounding me, it was white with blueish-green aura. All of a sudden, I felt myself being imbued with the this mystic energy and all of a sudden, I saw my son being energized by the mystic power.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I'm not so sure," I replied to my son.

"Alec, what's happening to us?!" Chrom said from afar, being carried by the magical power.

"What's going on, Alec?" Lissa was hovering as well.

A blue beam of light emitted from our bodies and touched the sky. I saw some other beams of light from the other buildings where the Shepherds took a homestay in.

* * *

**Somewhere**

I soon found myself on snowy ground. I looked around me and realized that I was in some sort of snowy area. It wasn't Ferox, but it looked like Ylisse in a snowy winter.

"Chrom?" I said a bit weakly as I stood on my feet and saw him laying in the snow.

"I'm here, Alec, but where are we?" Chrom asked as he got up too.

"Yeah, what just happened here? Is this Ferox?" Cherche said as Minerva landed beside us.

All of a sudden, a Sorcerer with a band of other soldiers approached us. This man had long red hair with a tome that emanated massive magic power.

"That old man must have told us of travelers coming to aid us," he said, "Are you them?"

"Sure, I guess," I replied nervously, "What's going on?"

"Look behind you, stranger," he said, "Who do you see?"

I saw a green haired man in strange garbs, leading an army of many soldiers. That green haired man looks familiar.

"That man came from another dimension to siege our land," he said.

"Who are you?" Chrom asked the red haired man.

With a curt smile, he tousled his hair in a flashy manner.

"My name is Arvis."

* * *

**Author's Note**

Basically, I love the Dread Fighter class, mostly because it's cool and because of Aggressor. The animations are cool, especially the jumping strike. The only thing I don't like about it is some of the animations are reused from other classes and the critical strike animations would have been something way cooler in my opinion.

Also, for my poll, can you guys keep on voting? I'll end it as soon as the tie between two suitors breaks the tie. I'll be posting my new side chapter some time later.


	29. Compassion

**Chapter 27**

**Compassion**

The battle was halfway over. We've already cleared out half of their forces, and nearly all of our allies were reduced to a small number. The good thing is that our forces were alright, though we were still heavily damaged from their strongest units, mainly Nomah, who cleared out many of Sigurd's men.

Sumia and I faced against off against King Marth; Catria by her side.

"Let us fight her, my prince," she said, "I'll guide our-"

Her pegasus suddenly reacted from an arrow shot. The reaction was an immediate dodge, causing Catria to reassess the situation.

"An archer?"

"No, milady, I'm the archest of archers," Virion had a confident grin while spinning his next arrow. Cordelia flew in front of Virion with her lance ready.

"Virion, provide assistance if necessary," Cordelia said.

"Very well, madame," Virion said as he fired a volley of arrows at Catria

"Catria!" King Marth shouted as he attempted to reach out for her.

I charged in and threw a powerful swing with my sword, but it was ultimately parried by Marth. He threw a powerful elbow to my gut, pushing me backwards. I should remember that King Marth was one of the most talented swordsmen in Akaneian history. But this isn't a fight to determine who would win in a sword fight.

"En garde, outsiders!" Marth entered a fencing stance with his Exalted Falchion.

Sumia charged forward and lunged at King Marth, but had fallen victim to his riposte. He made the spear grind through the blade and he swung to his side, slicing the spear handle. Sumia had a tome on her left hand and used her free hand to fire a bolt of electricity. Marth gracefully took a step to the side and attempted to throw a lunge at Sumia. I got in front of her and used my two Killing Edges to clench his blade.

"You fight with two ordinary swords, outsider," the King said, "But millions of swords cannot best the Falchion!"

He pulled back his sword swiftly and threw an inward slash with his Falchion. I wondered why he did that at first until I realized that the swing positioned him for a drawing technique.

"Wait, is that-?"

Sumia detonated a blue bomb of electricity around Marth before he attempted to perform Aether. I slid toward Marth and threw a powerful skyward kick in conjunction with a Rexcalibur tornado to launch him high up. I used my wind tome to launch myself up high. Marth did a short backflip and anticipated my approach. We both clashed blades, two katanas against a holy sword that slew dark dragons. The holy sword pushed me back a bit, but I hovered around him while swinging at him madly while Sumia also followed with a fusion of swings from her spear and magical blasts from her tome. King Marth managed to dodge almost everything we attacked him with, using graceful spins and parries. Sumia grabbed me as soon as we were getting close to the ground. Marth suddenly found himself falling to the ground alone. Catria managed to save him in time, though the landing was a bit harsh due to wounds sustained in her fight with Cordelia. As soon as Marth got off, Catria and her pegasus were exhausted, unable to battle.

"... Go and defeat them, my prince," she said weakly.

I used Catria as a platform to leap toward Marth. My flame was ignited with fire thanks to my Bolganone tome. Marth saw me and prepared a countering stance.

"Not gonna work!" I did a series of rolling front flips and clashed with his blade. As if time were slow for him, he swiftly slid his sword forward and used the hilt as a hook to pull me backward.

"A flame enhanced attack?" Marth commented.

"No, it's not just that," I said as I got up and spun my sword.

Magic text surrounded Marth and a little spark on Marth's sword suddenly detonated, consuming Marth in an inferno of fire. Marth's years of experiencing pain made him quite study, but not too sturdy against magic. I sheathed my sword and walked over to King Marth's dying body. He was shivering weakly from the result of my explosion.

"I may have lost, but the others will finish this for me," he said weakly.

I crouched down beside him and looked him in the eye. I knew that he was suffering badly from my attack. Even though I cleanly kill people mostly because they want to kill me, my feelings of compassion toward my enemy reemerged. I grabbed King Marth's left hand and clenched it firmly much to the dying man's confusion. A Thoron tome hovered beside me and I put my right hand on his head.

"You've fought honorably, Hero-King," I said, "A world like this is cruel, and times like this, it's hard to show compassion to your enemies as your absorbed in the pride of your army."

"War... it always was ugly, outsider," King Marth replied, "Both belligerents just fought each other and disregarded their opponents lives just because we have different opinions."

"Yeah, even then, I always think about how my enemies feel before I cut them down. Every soldier is taught that war is kill or be killed, but even that simple saying could absorb them and make them discard their humanity."

"That's true *cough* I have been defeated... finish me now. The one who stands victorious is righteous," he said.

"I can't help you recover fully, Marth, but this is the only compassion I have to offer," I replied.

"Very well, I don't think I can recover completely from a staff from that attack of yours," Marth said, "My suffering... must end here."

I slowly closed my eyes and surged the beam of electricity through his head. The hand I held twitched and went limp, indicating that our opponent has died. I grabbed his Falchion. It shone a deep orange energy when he held it, but when I held it, the sword's glow vanished. I was never worthy to wield Falchion in the first place. I dug it on the ground beside Marth's dead body and moved on through the snow.

I was warm underneath my coat, so I took it off briefly and let the winter air cuddle my skin. As much as I dislike sweating, it just shows that you've put great effort in what you just did. Fighting Marth wasn't easy with just swordplay or magic alone. Heck, even Marth was experienced in aerial combat much to my surprise. There was no enemies around, so I grabbed a concoction and took a swig. The smell of it was quite peculiar, but the drink was refreshing and soothed my wounds. After that, I put on my coat again.

"Are you tired, Alec?" Sumia said as she walked beside me with Tana walking alongside her.

"Of course," I said, "Fighting with the Hero-King himself is very challenging."

"...Let me fight for you for now, Alec," she said as she gave me her hand, "I'm still a capable fighter like you or anyone else."

I chuckled and shook my head. I should really stop treating Sumia as a second banana or some sort of assistant. She's my wife for Naga's sake. She doesn't have much strength like the others, but she does have powerful magic potential; more powerful than her friend, Cordelia. I'm sure she'll persevere. I grabbed her hand and she helped me up. I got on Tana and Sumia gave the order to ascend. The smell of the winter air at high altitude is refreshing.

"Alec, I've been wondering, how did we get here?" Sumia asked.

"Nate gave me a supposed fragment from the Outrealm gate and he told me that I used this to gain a power of a king."

"Power of a King? You just defeated a King, didn't you?" Sumia replied, "Where's that power?"

"I don't think it's not from Marth, it's from-"

A pink tornado shredded both Sumia and I. Sumia and I were able to survive the wind attack thanks to Sumia and Tana's high resilience to magic. We looked down and saw a red haired girl holding a special wind tome. Strangely, I found this red haired girl to be beautiful. That red haired woman is Celica, Alm's lover.

Tana hung on for strong and dove toward the sage as fast as she could. Suddenly, an enigma in dark blue garbs stood in front of her and guarded Sumia's lance stab with the Falchion that King Marth used. That green hair...

"No one hurts my lover!" he shouted.

"You're Alm!" I said.

"You've heard of me?" He did a quick draw technique with his other sword using his other hand, but Sumia managed to avoid the sword swing.

"Nice sword technique," I complimented. I noticed a red electric aura surrounding the man, "The tales ring true of you being worthy to wield Falchion."

"I am of Exalted blood, adversary," he commented as he drew his blade; the same blade I somehow found, "I was blessed with the power of Falchion to slay evil like you."

"Evil? You're laying siege upon an army not of your realm," I replied as I got off and drew two swords, "They've been outnumbered and by coincidence, we came to their aid."

"Fight me now! I've not time to waste on you, outsider," he entered a leaping position and suddenly vanished. I looked upward and saw him up high.

"Here, let me help," Sumia said with an Arcwind tome, "Arcwind!"

I used the tornado to leap up high and clash with Alm. We glided through each other, clashing both of our steels before separating. When I passed through him, I did a short front flip before levitating in the air with my feet pointing to the ground. I saw Alm throw one of his two swords up in the air while doing a series of hand signs. I looked at his hovering sword in front of me and soon saw an Alm manifest, grabbing the aerial blade. I looked behind me and saw Alm at the apex of his leap. I turned to my right and crossed my arms with a blade in each hand and swung outward, clashing both of the swords with my killing edges. The Alm behind me disappeared alongside his blade. I looked in front of me and saw Alm with both swords preparing to slice me. I rotated my body and used my right foot to kick his left shoulder. Alm cringed in pain and reeled back his left arm, disappearing from my sight. I saw him at the ground, holding both swords in ready position. His wounds closed from a soothing green light.

"I got your back, love," Celica walked to her lover with Recover staff in hand.

I landed in front of him at a comfortable distance. I was tired after that fight with Marth, and the concoction didn't heal me fully.

"Maribelle? Lissa?" I called out.

I looked around and spotted both of them in the heat of battle. They were too busy fighting and couldn't comply to my orders. In fact, the large force of enemies fighting them would buy Alm enough time to kill me before I get healed.

"Here, Alec," Sumia landed beside me holding two Elixirs. She passed me one and we both swigged it down. Our energy restored and wounds healed, we were ready for battle once more. I should remember I have a loving and caring wife.

"Celica is a challenging opponent," my wife commented, "I think we should double team on someone."

"It's a good idea, but I have an idea."

* * *

Alm disappeared into the skies while Celica's hands were surrounded with Pink tornadoes; her tome levitating in front of her. She hovered, either from the wind power of her tome or telekinesis. She charged forward while Alm would provide a cross-up slash, putting us in a bit of a dilemma on who to strike first. Celica was flying toward us with frightening speed, so this technique had to be done quick. Sumia stored her Arcwind tome with a Rexcalibur tome and equipped a Shockstick with her right hand.

Ever since I've started to strengthen my affinity with tomes on the past battles, the current Khan gave me Mjolnir. Flavia kept two ancient tomes that she had received from an old friend from Valm. The tome's front page has the words "Command the Skies and control the power of a fierce Lightning Deity". As soon as Celica was close, I stabbed my sword into the ground and summoned a mighty thunderbolt that absorbed a large amount of space. The large bolt of lightning left a large cloud of smoke, obstructing the two's vision. Celica was in front of me while she tried to charge at us and Tana, using her natural high sense of smell sniffed me out. I looked behind me and saw Tana flying toward me, so I jumped up and Sumia grabbed my hand. She pulled me in and I grabbed her Shockstick, which she tossed into the air before grabbing my hand. She grabbed her tome and prepared to stab Celica with her wind and lightning infused spear.

"No one hurts her!" Alm suddenly guarded her with his blades. Despite the electricity rushing through him, he still stood firm, surprising both of us.

"I'm still not done yet!" Sumia let out a war cry as her spear produced a large tornado that absorbed both of them in the roaring winds.

"Alec, ready your blade!" Sumia commanded Tana to follow the victims in the tornado. I grabbed my sword and threw a powerful lunge as soon as they got closer.

"This is the end," seeing them impaled and still breathing, I used my Mjolnir tome to emit a powerful lightning bolt that threw them far until they hit a really hard wall harshly.

Despite the large amount of magic power I used up, I was still vigilant until-

"Urgh!" a sword bulged out of my stomach and also stabbed Sumia's back, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Would have worked if you knew we were the real ones," Alm was behind me, hovering upside-down, "Celica?"

"Got it!" She said in front of us as she charged both of her hands with her trademark pink wind.

"You're forgetting who you're facing," Alm said, "If you hurt my wife, I'll hurt you tenfold!"

"Alec, I'm sorry," the tornado behind her was about to consume us in overwhelming power. Alm would be smart enough to dodge that move in time. The winds shredded both of us and I saw myself flying through the air and finally landing on the ground painfully. Celica's magic power and the power of that tome was overwhelming.

"I... don't... want to... die," my last words were said in a weak tone. I saw Sumia land beside me, all bloodied and bruised.

"Alec... Will you... still love me?" she was crying and her voice was weak.

I weakly reached my hand toward her and held it as strong as I could.

"... I've always did... remember?" I smiled weakly. If I were to die, I want my friends to know I died without regretting anything I did, "Can you just smile for me... once more?"

She did the same... but she still cried from dying. We were both young, recently married, and had to win a war. I can't stop here... the spirit is willing, but the flesh... the flesh is

"Urk!"

"Alec!"

My rib was impaled by Alm's sword. I tried to breath, but my left lung was heavily damaged. My respiration ended abruptly and I soon found my vision getting blurry. I saw Alm kneel down beside me and put his hands on my eyes. My vision darkened, and the embrace of death cuddled me so gently.

* * *

All of a sudden, I woke up from a trance... or some bizarre dream. Sumia just pushed Alm and Celica with a powerful mixture of her Shockstick's edge and her Rexcalibur tornado. I looked behind me and suddenly saw Alm who was about to stab me while hovering upside down. He was clearly surprised from me looking at him. Before he could get out, I grabbed his head and tossed him downward. Tana saw Alm and threw two powerful hoof strikes into his gut, causing the blue armored man to wheeze in pain.

"Alm!" Celica screamed.

"Is that really you, or is that one of your decoys?" I asked, "I'll show you no mercy if I have to prove your tangibility."

I stabbed my swords into his arms and he screamed in pain.

"Stop it!" Celica pleaded.

"I've noticed you needed to do those weird had gestures to do that little sorcery," I said, "I'm guessing you can't escape?"

"Hands off of my lover, beast!" I turned and saw Celica's hands surrounded in pink twisters.

"No, you won't!" Sumia vehemently defended and used her Shockstick to perform the lightning tornado again. Celica screamed in pain as she was blown away, electrified, and sliced by the winds.

"Cel!" Alm cried softly.

"So this is the real you," I commented. I took out my sword on his right hand and pointed it at his neck.

"Can you get up? Can you still use your hands?" I asked, "Celica won't be bothering us, and so will my wife. Fight me with just your swords."

"Huh?"

"Look, for some reason, I survived a dirty trick that you were about to kill me with, but that doesn't mean I won't stoop to your level," I said as I drew my sword, "Now draw your sword and face me."

Alm was confused at first, but he soon nodded and picked up both his signature sword and the powered up Falchion. The Falchion radiated a green glow rather than an orange for some reason.

The blue warrior disappeared and suddenly appeared in front of me. He attempted a stab with Falchion, but I saw it coming, so I dodged it easily. I countered with a sword swing which was dodged easily by Alm. The green haired warrior disappeared again and all of a sudden, I was surrounded by multiple Alms. I switched into dagger grip for my right hand sword and spun my arms in half circles before doing a pose that involves the butts of my blades touching. I quickly opened my eyes and took a mighty step forward; the step being a stomp that pierced through the soil underneath. I swung my blades toward the left while rotating my body to said side. The sound of sharp steel was heard as I saw a single Alm blocking with both swords.

"Grraaagh!" I completed my swing path harshly, causing Alm to be violently pushed backward. His tenacity was admirable; his feet staying firm with a large skid mark in his wake.

"Such power..." he commented, "How did you become so powerful?!"

I eyed him closely, scanning his vital points. His arms... His legs... His heart...

"I didn't come to talk..." I entered in an orthodox stance and used my front foot to step backward.

The sound of a violent gust was heard as Alm approached me quickly. As soon as my foot touched the ground, I did a rolling leap backward. When I landed, I entered a certain stance, but I was secretly moving at a massive speed. Five images of me in various stances were formed. In an instant, I disappeared from sight. Alm put his swords up in defensive formation. I threw an unseen swing at his arm, which he guarded with his blade.

"You're exposed," a swift invisible swing slashed his leg, causing him to stumble.

"Arm!" I quickly sliced through his left arm.

"And now..." Alm suddenly saw five mes from all angles, with one running toward him, while the others hovered in place.

"Lunatic's Blade: Vital Nightmare!" The doppelgangers phased through him and I threw a piercing slash through his back.

I stood in front of him with my back facing against him. I flourished both my swords and sheathed them in their respective scabbards. The sounds of his wounds opening were heard in conjunction with his screams of pain. As soon as I heard him fall, I felt my wounds open up too. It hurt as if I too was slashed on my limbs. I don't get why this is a tax to my imitation, but I still felt searing agony through my whole body.

Lunatic's Blade was a technique I attempted to replicate from Asura. He subdued a man by using a similar super-speed technique that most Swordmasters use. This time, he spotted vital points and struck them with his blade. This would lead to a final execution, though Asura's technique only disabled fighters and this technique was meant for an easy execution, so he only strikes the limbs. I didn't know the taxes of the true technique though.

"Alec!" Sumia screamed in horror.

I could still move, though trying to get up would result in me feeling hellish pain. I was breathing hard; fighting for my life to continue living. I need a healer, immediately, or I'd die from this painful blood loss.

"Help... me," I weakly begged before I blacked out. I feel like I died many times, but this death feels blissful. No... it's tragic. Sumia... my love... our future...

* * *

**Somewhere**

I found myself floating in a blue rift; possibly a bridge between life and death. A card floated in front of me and materialized into the man in the strange garbs. I put my hand on my sword handle, but I found myself unarmed. Alm too was unarmed as well. His face was a face of soft sternness, he didn't want to fight, but I think he wanted to... talk.

"So, you've defeated me," he said with a smile, "If it's a worthy opponent like you, I'm glad to have faced you."

"Thanks..." I said with a raised brow.

"So tell me, Alec, have you heard of me?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Celica reported the names of your army. You're their tactician if I recall correctly. But anywho, would you kindly answer my question?"

I nodded, and he noted this with his own nod.

"I've heard of you."

"Huh? How is it possible that you've heard from your world?"

"You're the Exalt of Valentia, aren't you? Our neighboring country, Valm is actually your continent."

"Valm? So they named it after me after all these years..."

I eyed his blue battle armor, and the green haired swordsman noticed this.

"That's a unique kind of armor you're wearing, Alm," I said, "What class are you?"

"I wear the garbs of the Dread Fighter, worn only by the strongest warriors in my realm. They fight to better themselves and protect the ones they love. Celica always suggested that I take a compassionate approach toward my enemies..."

"Is that even possible?" I asked.

"I don't know! We're in a battlefield, kill or be killed. How do you compassionately stab someone?"

"..."

"Did I make you panic, Alec?" he asked, "I'm sorry, this is just how I feel. So tell me, do you have compassion for your foes?"

The image of Mustafa, the Plegians, and the Valmese flashed in my faces. These were soldiers who died for their cause, but also made their loved ones despair from the loss of family. Thinking about it, the Shepherds and I subdued the Feroxi even when they were trying to hunt for our blood. So, back to the question. Do I show compassion for my enemies? Yes.

"Yes, I do," I replied normally, "Listen, war is such a scary event. People on both sides will experience loss. In hindsight, I just want them to stop, but their mindset tells them otherwise. I can brutally kill a lifeless zombie, but when faced against a human, I think to myself if I'm doing the right thing. I always want to keep them alive after I defeat them in combat, but all I know is that if they're beyond help, I must help their defeat by ending their suffering. I'm sorry, Alm, but this is how I feel."

Alm was silent and surprised. He opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Wow, that's impressive. To be both strong and tender. You must have earned high respect from your army, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I can tell," I replied with a smile.

Alm produced a scroll from his hand out of thin air. He floated toward me and placed it on my hand. I could feel the same power he had through this scroll alone.

"This is a Dread Scroll. You deserve to wear these garbs for besting me in combat. You truly fit the image of a Dread Fighter, Alec."

I felt the overwhelming power of the scroll bond with my limbs. I felt the blood red electricity swim through my veins painlessly, as power was being charged into me. The scroll unrolled itself and surrounded me like a cocoon. The text filled with alien writing surged out the same electricity that flew through me. I felt my magical power being modified by the garbs, and I started to show change.

My coat changed into a long black and green scarf that spanned far. My under armor had changed into a green breastplate with a black long sleeved shirt underneath with green ropes wrapping on my biceps, acting as bangles. My purple pants and golden greaves had changed into black pants with green metallic boots, with the footwear being some sort of socked sandals. I looked behind me and saw my two Killing Edges sheathed and latched on a green metallic ring.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel strong. Is this really the power of a king?"

"Alec, the garbs of a Dread Fighter are like any class: They have potential to gain the power of a king through hard work. The Dread Fighter is a powerful warrior well versed in swords, axes, and tomes. They carry great strength and are very tough against magic attacks. The art of the Dread Fighter has been hidden after I ruled, and I was one of the most prominent Dread Fighters during my reign. Alec, I shall join your cause."

He shifted into a card with an image of him on it. It floated in front of me, so I walked over and grabbed it. I could still feel his spirit resonate through this object alone.

"Let me learn more of compassion from you."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

As you can see, my poll's tie has broken and Nah emerged victorious.

Nah was my actual intended ship with Nate so you know what this means? Another poll! If Nah is really what you wanted, then... I guess I won't kill my body by writing another series of support convos.

So, barring Nah, Who do YOU want to be shipped with Nate? I'm not saying I want to change it up, but it's to see what you guys wanted instead.

I won't be writing for a while because I'm busy with volunteering. So, without further ado, leave a review if it pleases you and have a great day.


	30. Laid-Back Hierophant

**Chapter 28**

**Laid-back Hierophant**

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around me. I found myself in a tent; my tent. I'm assuming that Sumia set it up for me.

My body was covered in bandages, covering the wounds I dealt to myself through that technique imitation. I moved around my arms and legs to test if they were still numb. My wounds have been healed completely, but the bandages were there to stop the bleeding. By my hand, I saw a thick black sweater folded neatly. Close to it were my swords, sheathed in their respective scabbards.

I heard someone step in. Looking at the tent entrance, I saw a girl in brown pigtails, wearing a coat similar to Sena's coat. I looked at her waist and saw a yellow tome and a sheathed Iron Sword.

"Heya, dad!" she said in a jovial tone.

"Dad? Are you Cynthia?" I asked.

She made an "O" shape with her mouth and nodded like a party-crazed pony... Why did I make that my simile?

"Yep! While you were knocked out, Chrom lead the Sheps to search for the future children," she said, "A week ago, they found me and got me a tent."

"Wait, a week?! How did Chrom and the others manage to win battles without me?! Is anyone dead?" I asked with panic.

"Aww, dad's just being a big workaholic. Chrom and the others went on a search party for us thanks to a request from Lucina. A guy impersonated Chrom and I became the opposite of a hero. Oh, and also, everyone is fine!"

I let out a sigh of relief from hearing this. The way she delivered it was very eccentric, so I'm sure no one died.

"Do you have proof that you're my daughter?" I asked the girl.

She grabbed a pouch hanging on her waist and loosened the knot. She shuffled through the pouch and let out the wedding ring I gave to Sumia. It was rusted from age, so I knew it would be genuine.

"So you are," I noted, "I wonder what's so weird about you now. I'm a pretty weird person, just like your big brother."

"Weird? I want to be a great hero!" she said with a proud pose, "A hero that surpasses your standards!"

I laughed at her little resolve. Not offensively, but because I found her energy cute and endearing.

"You really are my daughter," I said with a smile, "Also, how come you're wearing that?"

"Oh, well, you were one of my greatest heroes, and mommy said you wore a long purple coat like this."

I stood up and walked toward her. Due to my height and the menacing shadow, Cynthia was nervous and was unsure of what I was about to do.

"Dad?"

I sucked her into my arms and embraced her tenderly. With a warm smile, I heard Cynthia giggle lovingly.

"Who knew my daughter could be this cute yet beautiful," I said, "I wonder if I had a cute name for you when you were a kid."

"Teehee~. You always called me your Pega-Pony Princess."

"Aww how cute, maybe that should be your alias from your fantasies."

"No, I am the daughter of Verdant Nocturne, Ivory Dawn!" she separated from the hug entered a heroic pose and grabbed her wind tome from her belt, using it to blow dramatic wind for her long coat to billow.

"Ivory Dawn? You're heroic pose is perfect! However..." I went into roleplaying mode like her too. I grabbed my sheathed Killing Edge, which was resting on the ground and drew it. The dull edge was facing forward as to prevent injury, "If you really are my daughter, defeat me in combat!"

I tossed my Killing Edge to her and she turned the sword until the dull edge faced forward.

"Using your Storm Hawk stance, father?"

Wow, she's a big fan of my fantasies.

"I can still fight with or without a sword. Be warned, Cynthia, I won't go easy on you," I said as I entered a martial arts stance, "Let's go!"

* * *

**Later**

We walked outside of my tent and headed to Lissa's tent. Lissa and Maribelle are our medics, using their staves to heal injuries.

"Owie!" Cynthia whined, "We're just roleplaying aren't we?"

Cynthia had a bump on her head, during our little play fight. It wasn't from me though.

"It's not my fault you tripped, Cynthia," I said with rolled eyes.

The whole fight involved Cynthia doing various sword stances and she only attempted to attack me once, but it ended with her falling on her head. I continued to rub on her head for comfort.

"Sorry," she apologized in a cute apologetic tone.

I giggled from her cutesy pout. The sight of it just made my heart melt a bit. I looked forward and saw Nate walking alongside a younger girl in a purple coat similar to mine as a Grandmaster. Nate's gaze met me and he waved.

"Dad, look who I found!" he said, "This is the youngest sister, Morgan."

Morgan saw me and immediately ran to me and caught me in a leaping hug. I grabbed her and spun around for a moment before carrying her light frame.

"Father, you're alive!" she said with tears in her eyes.

"Where did they find you?" I asked.

"Well, I was in the ruins of a temple, but then Nate and Cynthia found me," she winked at me with a cute smile.

The flapping of wings was heard in the distance. Sumia entered the scene with a heartwarming smile.

"Alec, your awake!" she jumped off of Tana and embraced me lovingly. We distanced ourselves a bit yet still holding on to each other and I kissed her forehead, uttering a cute giggle from her.

"Hey Sumia, look at this, our whole family is here," I said with a smile, "This really calls for a celebration."

"Dad, you're the tactician, aren't you?" Morgan said, "Don't you need to work non-stop?"

"Morgan, even a tactician needs a break, in fact, I do my tactics way different from usual tacticians," I said, "I mean, do you see me always being on a chair and telling people what to do? Also, I haven't been giving orders for the last week."

"Right," she said, "But we're in a war, there's no time for dillydallying."

Sumia intervened by standing between both my recently found daughter and I.

"Remember that Chrom commands the army, Morgan," Sumia reminded, "And right now, he gave us a break so... This gives me an idea."

I was all ears. I looked at my future son and daughters and they seemed to listen intently to what their mom was about to say.

"We should go on an outing to the nearby village!"

I nodded vehemently from this idea.

"Sure! We've been fighting Risen most of this time," Nate said as he shook his arms.

"Besides, Chrom rarely gives us breaks," Cynthia said, "Right now, we're trying to find the rest of the future children."

"Also, there are no heavy reports of Risen attacks at the moment, so..." Sumia jumped up high and landed on her pegasus, "Let's go out!"

* * *

**3rd Person View**

**Village near Ruins of Time**

"Sena~," a voice whined, "I want to kill a few Valmese~."

The whiner was Apep, a manakete male who acts like a spoiled child. He's much more mischievous and evil in contrast to Nowi's optimistic childishness.

Apep's hair was black and his eyes were royal purple. He wears a frill dress shirt with a black vest on his top. He also wears a pair of black short shorts that show most of his slender legs with white socks and black dress shoes. He has the appearance and stature of a young boy.

"Dammit, Apep, I'm not your mom," Sena said, "Besides, we were given orders not too."

Sena had her hair up in a ponytail and she wore a brown tank top with tight purple pantaloons, complete with brown boots.

A brown haired philanderer walked up beside Sena with a casual pose. He had one eye closed as he relaxed his head on his arms.

"Wonder why our master wants us to be here?" the man said in a suave accent.

"Luxuria, just follow my lead, please?" Sena sighed angrily, "And don't you dare try to be in a one-night harem stand! It takes a lot of time to clean up."

Luxuria wears a fitting red dress shirt with parts of his pectorals showing. He completes it with a pair of black pants and white boots.

"Aww, you're no fun~," he said with an unhappy face.

"Luxuria, according to my 776 Leif Scout, our target is approaching this village," an intellectual woman said, "Of course, Master Grima peered through the eyes of this interesting man who has inherited a special blood of Outrealm origins."

The intellectual woman is Saki. She has a voluptuous body and her hair shines with cyan.

"You're boring, Saki," Luxuria said in a bored tone, "Why not just come to a hotel with me and have some tea?"

"In all my years of research, construction, and body modifications, my body consistently self-breeds necessary nutrients through organic enzyme cells produced by me, I've no such need of aid from ingesting of foods."

"In English, Old Hag?" Apep said with crossed arms and a raised brow.

"It means that because of body modifications, she has no need to eat," Sena translated for her.

"Speaking of breed," Luxuria licked his lips, "Why not let me breed your child, my beautiful Saki?"

"I require no need of an heir for I will eternally pursue what I need with no need of a will passing by; my flesh being my will."

Sena lead her group of misfits through a village nearby the Shepherds camp. They were given orders from Grima to stalk Chrom and Alec. Though they didn't have to be hidden, they could engage in idle conversation as long as they don't reveal any classified information.

"You know, why are WE doing this?" Apep complained, "Why can't Gimurei- er Grima just do it?"

"Have you forgotten about what he has done to you, you ungrateful urchin?!" Luxuria said with a vein on his head.

"Heh, you're the weakest here, so why must you be involved?" Apep said arrogantly, "In fact, Sena and Saki are better off without us-"

A sword hovered toward Apep's neck. It was a Wyrmslayer, a manakete's natural enemy. Apep was silenced by the sight of it.

"Be in silence, manakete," Saki said, "Without Grima, you wouldn't have achieved your desires. Serve Grima well, or else become an aged old man."

"Y-Yes Saki."

The sword disappeared in a flash and Sena sat down on a dining chair by a restaurant. The others sat down on the remaining seats.

"Guys, act cool," Sena said in a hushed whisper, "They're coming."

* * *

**Back to Alec's view**

Before we left, we of course took off our armor and weapons as to not threaten the peace with our appearance. Unbeknownst to my family, I kept a hidden knife underneath my sleeve. We wore casual clothing today.

I wore a short sleeved dress shirt that was green and the same pants I wore during my first days in Ylisse. Cherche cleaned up most of the clothes yesterday and said she cleaned my pants up first after finding its aesthetic interesting. I also wore the pair of red shoes that was also cleaned up by Cherche.

Sumia wore a simple white dress with a medium skirt. She wore a pair of tight black shorts underneath, reaching up to her upper thighs with simple white heels.

Morgan didn't have any clothes to wear, so she borrowed Sumia's dresses. She was about her size, so it fit fine. The dress she wore was a blue dress. She also wore a pair of white ankle-high shoes.

Nate wore a white tunic with a black jacket hanging on his shoulders as if it were a cape. He wore black pantaloons and brown boots.

Cynthia wore a sleeveless frilled dress similar to her "old pegasus knight" armor. She also wore long blue boots and black garters.

We look like a pretty normal family... or group of friends.

"Well, according to one of the locals, one of the best restaurants is the 'Black Leg Bistro'," I said as I wrote on my notebook.

"What's with the notebook, daddy?" Cynthia asked cutely.

"Between the family and I, I'm pretty damn forgetful."

You know, we're in a big family of lovable idiots. Sumia is usually clumsy, I usually forget things and has a height complex like Ricken, Nate is VERY perverted and is very easy to cry, Cynthia is obsessed with becoming a hero, and Morgan wants to be just like me: A Master Tactician. In fact, Chrom's family is weird too. Scratch that, all families are weird.

"Alec?"

I heard that voice. That female voice sounded familiar. The jovial and care-free tone.

"Sena? Aren't you supposed to be leading in Grimleal related worship?" I said from her just casually sitting on a chair with a few others with her.

"Ehhh, I asked King Vali for a break and after a few arguments, he said yes," she had a toothy grin on her face, "I see you have a little posse there, Alec."

"Yeah, we're currently recruiting some new members that one of our friends told us about, and the three here are one of them."

Sena grinned casually as usual.

"You've got a pretty nice leader, even when you're in the middle of a war against a Conqueror," she commented, "So, can you guys tell me your names?"

My future children gave her their names. While she reacted casually, we had to not give her any hints that our children are from the future. If so, I have a bad feeling about this.

"Speaking of Valm, how come they're not using this chance to attack?" That little kid asked.

"Their main harbor has been captured," I replied, "And also we firebombed their best fleet."

The kid's eyes shone with awe from my story and his face seemed eager for me to tell him more. I felt pretty important from seeing his awestruck face.

"So, kid, what's your name?"

"I'm Apep," he said with childish fervor.

"Very interesting," the intellectual one said, "You've managed to utilize Plegia's oil supply well. How did your bombarding plan go?"

"You see..." I told her the story of my bombardment on the Valmese fleet. While I was talking, she was writing notes with surprising vehemence. It's like I met another Miriel.

"Very nice, Alec, and I got your exact dialogue written with a concept image of your battle plan," she showed me her note book and I noticed the exact things I said were written in legible handwriting. There were also neatly spaced images of fliers dropping oil kegs in a mesmerizing pattern as shown through those curved arrows.

"Saki, you really are a genius," I said in surprise.

"Yes, in your case," she said with a smile before shifting into a serious frown, "But I still have a lot to learn. I've got way more years ahead of me to study!"

Wow, she looks extremely young and is already an accomplished Polymath. Geniuses like her are usually well known, but how come I've never seen her or heard of her before?

"So, how were you able to attract all these ladies?" the suave man asked.

"Look, man, I'm not into harems," I said, "I'm happily married to my wife, Sumia."

"My my, why don't you just enter a polygamous relationship," he said in a very thick and somewhat western accent, "Maybe that will prevent them ladies from being jealous."

"Shut up, Luxuria," Sena said with a clear disapproving look, "Don't worry about him, Al, Luxy is just very promiscuous."

"Considering his clothing, yeah, most likely."

Sena chuckled at my obvious perception. Compared to most of the others, I see Sena as the much more friendly and easy-going, yet at the same time, has a "big sis" aura. Sena looks like she's around my age, despite the fact that Apep is a manakete as well.

"So, how's your marriage going?" Sena asked, "Being in an army and being a tactician must have its toll in your relationship, right?"

"Well, that's true, but Sumia is a soldier first, and soldiers in a war must know that duty comes first."

"Yeah, and our duty as Shepherds is to fight for and with others to save others," Sumia said proudly.

"Whoa, that sounded very cool, ma- er Sumia," Cynthia said. I facepalmed from her mistake... in my head.

"So, you haven't had sex yet?" she asked out in the open, causing my whole family to blush madly. Luxuria, the seemingly sex-crazed man, facepalmed from her open blurt.

"Look, some stuff like this is personal," I said to Sena, "How about if I asked you how your sex life with Luxuria is?"

"It's actually very on-off," she said in a casual tone with a hand gesture. I twitched from her response.

"Seriously, you're that open with your sex life?" Nate said.

"Well, I'm not ashamed of my sexy body, you know," she said, "We're just sex friends."

Sena's posse facepalmed from her open-minded sex life. The latter laughed in a jolly manner, causing both Nate and I to laugh nervously.

"Leeeet's just not talk about sex," Saki said as she was covering Apep's ears.

"Sorry," she wiped her tears from her overjoyed laughter; bits of laugh coming out of her mouth.

"So, what do you do away from being a Hierophant?" Sumia asked.

Sena thought for a while before coming up with an answer.

"Well, I go to the bar sometimes to drink some ale, or I just kill some time napping or doing some exercise," she answered, "Do you do anything on your free time?"

I sighed before continuing.

"Well, being the Tactician, I have to be as reliable as possible to both my leader and my friends," I yawned and scratched the back of my head, "Almost everyone asks me for advice on even social problems, which I'm pretty bad at."

"Man, you should have made like Chrom the tactician or something," Sena said lazily.

"Chrom calls the shots, but I just order the troops in battle," I replied, "Heck, due to my tactical knowledge, some of the people come to me requesting help for other things."

"Like what?" Apep asked.

"I don't know, I forgot, but yeah, I do help my friends in the army almost all the time, that I barely have any time to myself."

"It sucks being a tactician, eh?" Sena replied.

"It's a hard job, but who else is able to handle the fate of their soldiers?"

"Chrom, perhaps?" Luxuria replied.

"... Yeah, that too, but still... never mind," I said.

The waitress came to our table and handed us menus. They seemed to have a great selection. I chose the beef dish, while Sumia chose the salad dish. Nate and Morgan decided to get what I'm getting, and Cynthia ordered a salad with a chocolate cake slice for dessert. Speaking of dessert, I ordered a few brownies with my dish. Sena got the beef dish too and she was surprised from us having the same liking. Luxuria got a vegetable and meat dish, Apep only got dessert with a large fish dish, and Saki ordered a salad dish too.

When our orders came, we both ate our dishes joyfully while engaging in conversation with each other.

Luxuria is actually from Ylisse, but Sena helped him while he was in the middle of debt and now works in Plegia as a merchant. He's currently on break at the moment.

Saki came from Valm, but she moved to Plegia to go on an archaeology expedition. After meeting Sena, they befriended each other, but Saki still works as an archaeologist, finding interest in the ancient Plegian civilization. Apep is from an aristocratic family from a distant land, though, but was invited by Sena to be her adoptive little brother after his departure.

As soon as our meals were done, Sena and I payed for the bills of our respective groups and they waved us goodbye. As soon as they came out of sight, we talked to each other about the group we encountered.

"You know, for a Grimleal Hierophant, she seems lazy at her job," Nate commented on Sena.

"I wonder how a boy like him became part of royalty?" Cynthia said, talking about Apep.

"Something tells me that Saki may know the equivalent of one of the oldest libraries," Morgan noted from Saki.

"Luxuria seems like a very controlled guy despite his seemingly flirtatious behavior," I said about Luxuria, "Despite all that, I still think they're alright people."

"Yeah, weird as they may be, it doesn't prevent them from being friendly," Morgan said.

"You know, I think our family is weird," I laughed heartily to myself, but with no one following. I immediately halted.

"Whatever..." I said reluctantly, "We should go shopping around the district."

Everyone cheered from my decision and Morgan went ahead.

"Come on, dad, I want to see some new dresses," my cheerful future daughter said.

"Don't get anything too expensive," we all followed Morgan to the clothing market. Weird as we are, we're still family, and this feels like my first time being around true family. My family.

* * *

**Somewhere else**

Sena and her little posse were standing by a hill in the outskirts of the city. Sena paced around impatiently alongside Apep, while Luxuria looked at himself in a short mirror and Saki was doing some sort of mystic meditation.

"Where is he?" she asked herself, "Where's our agent?"

"You know, how come you didn't choose one of us?" Luxuria said, "I would have been much more convincing."

"Luxie, this person is the one destined to join them despite his origin," Sena said, "Also, he has the potential to befriend and even get someone to fall for him."

"I can do that too, you know," the philanderer said with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm aware, Lardo, but you have a much more important role in the future," Sena said, "This guy is perfect for the job."

He shrugged and continued to primp. The sound of wolves were heard and the party saw a pack of wolves passing by them, but them not showing any surprise or fear.

The rustling of grass was heard and the party looked at where the sound came from. A hooded figure appeared before them, holding a series of purple tomes.

"It's about time..." Sena said with a smile, "How are the Sheps doing?"

"Hehehe, they're doing alright," the figure said with an optimistic sounding voice, "They're a cute and friendly bunch."

"I'm aware," Sena said with a smile, "If I want to feel an extremely thrilling match with him, I need him in his angriest."

"Why can't you just kidnap him? That would make summoning Master faster," the hooded figure chuckled from his own rhyme.

"That's booooring! Watching him is already boring! You're a charming boy, right?" Sena said as she bent forward and pointed at his head, "Besides, with nothing holding him back, with everything he loves gone, that would add to Grima's wrath, and we both know how you LOVE seeing suffering."

"So, what about this 'charming boy' are you getting at?"

Sena chuckled and strutted to the hooded figure. She took off his hood and looked at his eyes close up.

"Saki has told me that the Shepherds may find your history enticing. Entice his wife, and convince his children he's not of his blood. I can tell you want to revel in his suffering."

With an optimistic grin, he nodded and laughed with an insane fervor.

"Don't worry, just leave it to me, Sena-sweetheart!"

"If you fail, or if I get bored of you..." Sena's back suddenly sprout out a large teethed worm creature with six eyes. She smiled crazily as the worm-like appendage hissed at the hooded man. He didn't react. No fear. No trembling. He just kept on smiling.

"I can just eat you up," she licked her lips and her worm did the same.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So, who's the hooded person? Also, who's Sena? Who's Saki? Who's Apep? Who's Luxuria? What kind of abilities does Sena have? Does her posse have a similar monstrosity?

But yeah, this is the new chapter, and I wanted to introduce a few OCs that are antagonistic. But, I'm breaking the mold of Fire Emblem villains by giving them special abilities based on their desires. Sena's desire isn't anything like her powers, but she can get her desire through them.

Review if you wish, and if you've read that message, I'm telling you of how I'll be extremely busy later. Good bye~!

So, for the daughters being found, I didn't want to go through the trouble of writing a bunch of chapters of fighting. For the children character recruiting, I'm just gonna skip that and immediately move on to the main Valm arc pathway.

So the next ship possibility to be written will be... announced right when I post the new chapter. Speaking of which, I've decided who my daughters will end up, so no need for a poll.

Have a nice day/evening. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	31. Traitors and Visitors

**Chapter 29**

**Traitors and Visitors**

It had been such a long journey in finding the future children. We traveled around many areas and paced from Valm and to Ylisse, finding the future children. We've managed to find them all, and soon, we would march forward to Fort Steiger from Say'ri's suggestion. Chrom, who holds the Fire Emblem, is now on a quest to look for the gemstones. Lady Tiki, a manakete of yore enlightened us on the locations and names of the gemstones and gave us Azure. We have two gemstones: Argent and Azure. Vert is contained by Walhart during his conquest according to Say'ri. Gules was actually held by Basilio, and his ancestors have held it ever since the "Schism", an event where Regna Ferox was found. The location of Sable remains unknown.

Currently, we camped near our destination: Fort Steiger. Walhart's army in Valm is separated by three forces. Walhart commands armies in the North, Yen'fey and his armies control the south, and Fort Steiger houses central Valm's armies.

I wrote my whole journey on a journal. Though I had bad writing in my own opinion, it didn't keep me from making it illegible. It was late and most of the Shepherds were asleep. Nate and Nah were on lookout duty. I'm quite proud of my son. Not only is he talented, but he's inherited my boons. Like me, he too could stay up late. But this nocturnal energy made him quite brash at times. I went back to my tent and my wife was already asleep. I lay down on the bed and she purred cutely as she turned and embraced me.

"Rest healthy, Alec," she said with gentle grogginess.

I embraced her too and held her close. She felt warm and cozy, so warm, I might not need a blanket to sleep. It was spring time, and the nights would remain moderately cold. All of a sudden, I felt another pair of arms wrap around me from behind.

"Father, can I sleep here?" Morgan mumbled tiredly.

I sighed and smiled calmly as I turned to her and pet her light brown hair.

She had been training hard today, sparring with Nate, who

"Of course, my sweet daughter," I said, "But only you right now, because Cynthia can sleep with her brother."

"Good night, dad," she dug into my chest and embraced me lovingly. Sumia hugged both of us lovingly and she uttered a sweet giggle. Times like this makes me love families.

* * *

**The Next Day**

Fort Steiger wasn't easy, but even with the difficulty, we managed to adapt to our three-way siege and even though we were hurt badly with one of us not being with our preferred partners, I made it so that Sumia and I were accompanied by our future children; me with Nate, and Sumia with Cynthia and Morgan. Nate fought with Nah, who seemed to have an enticement to my son. Despite her petite build, I could still approve of her relationship with my son as long as she doesn't constantly threaten him with consuming him in dragon form... because Nate, unlike Inigo, who's a philanderer, is openly perverted... though he can control his urges.

A group of Valkyries approached us and attempted to shred us with powerful wind magic. Their Rexcaliburs formed a ring, preventing us from escaping. The winds were strong and my long scarf forcefully slapped me by the wind. I looked up high into the ceiling.

"The ceiling is high enough," I said to Nate, "Can Cugar provide me a boost?"

"All right..." I hopped on Cugar's back as he braced his feet into the ground.

I entered a drawing stance and leapt up high, emulating Alm's leaping attack. The leap was extremely fast, so fast that it's as if I disappeared from sight instantly. I managed to go over the green tornadoes, but then I saw Nate and a transformed Nah flying out as if something bad was happening. In the middle of the tornadoes, a large pillar of wind erupted, which would have heavily damaged Nate and Nah. I looked at the earthbound horse maidens and rotated my body until I faced the ground. I propelled myself forward by using my wind tome and flipped forward while throwing a heavy downward slash on the maiden with Alm's sword. Her delicate defense was immediately pierced trough. Cugar pinned down the Valkyrie to my left while Nah decimated the one to my right with a devastating crystalline projectile.

"Who could have done that kind of spell?" I asked with a bit of a scared tone.

"Yeah, that was no ordinary Rexcalibur, dad," Nate commented.

Henry was accompanied by Ricken, with both of them being promoted magicians. Ricken wore the robes of a sage while Henry's Dark Mage outfit had become a sorcerer's. Sumia was being assisted by both her daughters and Henry. When we were about to reach the throne room, we met up, with the dark mage greeting us optimistically.

"Hey guys, how was killing those BADkyries?"

While Sumia and the others chuckled, I put my face in my palm from the bad joke.

"I still wonder how Gaius is faring with the treasure guards," I said with worry.

A shadow suddenly appeared and revealed itself to be Gaius. Tharja, clad in her sGaiorcerer outfit, telekinetically floated right beside her husband, holding two tomes by her belt. Gaius held a bag full of items.

"I've got the goods, Alec," Gaius said, "Apparently, your son's wyvern says that there are two treasure chest rooms."

"Yeah, just wait here till Brady and Vaike reach the West Side. He'll use your Rescue staff to transport you there quick."

"Oh, that's clever there, bedhead," he said with a smile.

"Eh, boss, I'm right here," Brady shouted from the other side.

Gaius and Tharja felt themselves being lifted by an ethereal energy and disappearing.

"I'm here, Alec," Gaius confirmed the success.

"Yeah, good. We'll handle the leader," I said.

My group of soldiers made way to the throne room, but was blocked by three more Valkyries. They attempted to blast us with their Thoron beams, only for Henry to pin them down with his Ruin Tome. Sumia and Cynthia went in for the kill, stabbing them with their weapons. Nate jammed his sword through the remaining Valkyrie. Now with no one to guard the room, the leader was left. She sat on her throne with her mount by her side.

"So, you're the infamous Indra those meddlesome Chon'sin Dynasts blabber about?" she asked me.

"Look, you White Supremacist, I hate killing, and if you surrender, I won't stain your garbs."

"White Supremacist? Garbs?" she was sarcastically surprised, "Hah. Like I need your opinions. If you don't like to hurt women, I'll just feel free to kill you quick."

"I don't care if I fight a man or a woman. If he or she decides to not comply with my mercy, I'll kill you if that's what you wish."

"Kill me?"

She got on her horse and opened a special tome. The symbol looked very different from other tomes seen from other magic casters. It was ice blue and had a rose design on the cover.

"Fimbulvetr!"

A cold wind blew, lowering the temperature of the throne room. I felt my skin suddenly freeze as icicles started to form. Nate and his wyvern received the most damage, as wind and the cold are both very dangerous to a wyvern. While she was casting the spell, I saw a series of green muck suddenly produce around her. Who's using Mire? I looked at Henry, who was still trying to resist the chilling Fimbulvetr winds. He gritted his teeth and shivered as he resisted the cold. The Mire soon took effect, and the lady took damage, halting the channel.

"Where did you get that tome?" I asked.

"I'll answer it to your frozen body," she started to channel the power through her tome, but the tome was knocked away by Cynthia's Elwind.

"I got him, dad!" she said with a proud grin.

"You're open!" I tossed my sword up high, grabbed it when it got low, and glided toward her.

"Terra!" A large amount of sharp boulders surrounded her, but I sliced through it with my sword. She disappeared from the clearing, leaving me to wonder how she could move that quick with a horse.

I heard the same earth tearing noise from behind, realizing that the Valkyrie stood behind me. She carried a new tome, a dark brown tome with sword on the cover. I hopped over the magically artificial stalagmites and saw my other friends attempt to attack her. Henry's magic proved to be weak to her, as Valkyries had naturally high Res. The Ruin tome that Henry used was weak and didn't show any notable damage. In response, Henry was contained in a rocky prison.

"Aw man, this doesn't rock at all," he said, mixing sadness with sarcasm.

Cynthia attempted to strike with her sword, only for her to be parried by a rocky sword on her free hand. In the air, I threw a plunging stab at her open back. This was proved a great mistake as she knocked me away with a rocky fist erupting from the ground behind her. I managed to land safely on the floor and analyzed her. She held her own against all of us, using that powerful Earth Tome that I've never seen before. She summoned another tome from her saddle, this time a navy blue tome.

"No!" I tossed a knife at the tome, but she and the tome disappeared.

That blue tome, I have a feeling it must involve water. If it could command water, and water is a refracting object, then...

"Guys, stand your ground and keep your guard up!" I felt myself being kicked by hoof and knocked into the wall.

"Father!" Morgan shouted in worry.

She charged forward with both a sword and tome in hand. I saw her eyes suddenly widen and then she turned to her back and guarded an invisible kick.

"Mother, use your Bolganone tome!" Morgan shouted.

"W-why?" she asked nervously.

"The lava drops will reveal where she is," Morgan said, "Don't worry about me, I can survive."

"Alright!" Sumia took out her Bolganone tome and summoned a plume of lava in the middle of the throne room, launching out molten rocks too. Some of them hit the invisible opponent and marked her with fire.

"There she is!" Nate, now recovered, flew toward the fire and threw a powerful swing at her. The earth she summoned managed to absorb some of the damage, but she was nonetheless damaged and her invisibility was diminished.

"I can just do-" An arrow shot toward her water tome, pinning it to the wall.

"Oh no you can't," Olivia said with a smile as she held her steel bow.

Chrom ran toward the Valkyrie and threw a mighty lunge at the horse with his rapier, killing the horse instantly. I got up and walked toward the Water tome that the Valkyrie had used. The Fimbulvetr tome was also across the Water tome. I grabbed both of them and felt a strange alien-like energy flowing through me. Seeing the weakened maiden, I used the water tome to make an aquatic prison that surrounded her body. She squirmed in her aquatic prison and was unable to get out due to her lack of tomes. I kept the tome open and passed the Fimbulvetr tome to Morgan.

"Use the tome to freeze the water, Morgan," I told her.

"Alright," she opened the tome and shot a focused cold gale to the water. It surrounded the water, causing the water to solidify from the low temperatures in seconds.

I closed the water tome and Cugar pinned the frozen lady with his talons.

"So, that's it?" I said.

"Should we CAW her out for some torture?" While others giggled, I sighed angrily from Henry's annoying puns.

Sumia grabbed the brown tome and she showed it my family. I looked at the water tome as well as Fimbulvetr. I wonder how she got her hands on this?

"Can I see that tome, Alec?" Chrom asked me. I handed it to him and he read it.

"A Water tome... Is it of Jugdral? Elibe? Magvel?"

"I don't know, but the versatility of this tome is quite limitless," I said, "That Terra tome and Fimbulvetr tome are very unique tomes."

All of a sudden, a small quake was heard. We looked toward the way to the entrance as we heard a stomping noise that went with the quake. The sounds of walls being destroyed gave me a bad feeling about what's coming.

"Guys, I have a bad feeling about this, we must run!" I said with a panicky voice.

We left the throne room and looked at the main hallway. Before entering, Say'ri told us of the Dynasts, an army of Chon'sin rebels who wore green. They were ready to take over the Fort until...

"Hello, Ylissean dogs!" A purple haired... person said as... it appeared right in front of the army.

"What and who the hell are you, craven?" I asked.

"I'm the most beautiful tactician ever," the thing said, "I am Excellus, I'm just saying hi for our little friends, the Dynasts."

"What have you done to the Dynasts?!" I said.

The Dynasts grabbed their cloaks and switched them with red ones, adorn with the Valmese symbol.

"Just touching some nerves..." Excellus said with a mischievous smile, "Now if you'll excuse me."

He teleported in a magical circle and appeared behind us. He grabbed the frozen Valkyrie and disappeared.

"Get back here, you!" I shouted.

"SKRAAAAGGHHH!"

Suddenly, a very muscular Risen standing at 10 feet broke through a wall with a few turn-cloaks beside him. He wore some garbs of a Berserker of an era yore and held two heavy axes.

"That Risen... it looks like it's working alongside the traitors," Nate noted.

"But that's absurd, brother," Morgan argued, "Aren't Risen suppose to be mindless?"

The gigantic Risen walked forward slowly and pointed his axe at us while roaring in a commanding tone. The turncoats marched forward at its command, so we got ready for battle.

"How is this even possible?" Sumia asked with worry.

"What will we do now, Alec?!" Chrom said as he turned to me.

"We have to escape," I gripped my sword and tome strongly, prepared to face the behemoth, "We have to mow through those forces quickly."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**A bit shorter than the others. I wanted to add a bit more, but it's time I get to know Little Miss Suspense better. In short, this is all for today.**

**As you know, I started a RWBY fanfic that chronicles its prologue. If you're also a fan of it, read it if you want. The progress is pretty slow, considering I have two stories to finish. It may finish earlier than TC, though not too early as I'm still figuring out the concepts of my characters.**

**For the story, I added a bit of a dash of creativity salt to make this much more different from the other stories. I've been playing Sacred Stones for a while and the Cyclopes inspired me to make gigantic Risen. How they decide to serve Valmese is yet to be announced (to you, the reader).**


	32. Monstrous Strength

**Chapter 30**

**Monstrous Strength**

I can't believe Valmese were powerful enough to bring in a berserker with fearsome size and strength. What's worse, he had a commanding presence over the soldiers of Valm.

"How can we run when we're flanked by him?" Chrom asked.

"The whole army isn't in the throne room you know."

A pillar of flame engulfed a turncoat. I looked around to see if anyone opened their tomes. Not even the twisted Henry had his tome up and showed surprise on who cast that Bolganone quickly.

"Alec, don't worry about us," Tharja said to me with a serious voice, "Vaike and Brady will help us."

Chrom walked beside me and whispered to my ear.

"That doesn't sound like the usual Tharja," he commented silently.

"Well, you know how she pretty much stalks me all the time? She's kinda putting up a kind image to win my heart."

"Oh..."

"All right, no time to fool around, it's time I gave the orders," I said, "Olivia, Chrom, Sumia, you'll be helping me fight the behemoth. Ricken, Henry, Nate, Morgy, Cynthie, Nah, you guys will take care of the west side."

They all nodded and confirmed with a reply of affirmation and went to do their orders. Olivia had a nervous look at first, until Chrom stood by her side. She grabbed her bow with strong conviction and took aim. Chrom unsheathed his Falchion and got ready to fight. Sumia grabbed her tome and glared at the giant. I gripped my axe tightly with my left hand and put my right hand on the sword on the sheathe on my back.

All of a sudden, a newcomer came in. It looked like a man in golden paladin armor, but his helmet resembled an ornate bird. He had a cape made out of silver feathers and held a lance with a hawk motif. Purple lightning surged through his whole body and he entered a preparatory stance.

"Whoever you guys are, I'll take you all on!"

"Alec, that's Rokh, he was rumored to be part of Valm's ancient military. He's also known as The Garuda Slayer," Chrom said.

"Then who's the giant?"

"That would be Machtstein, personal executioner of Gharnef," as female voice said.

A magic circle came in and revealed a lady clad in a red dress, accentuating a voluptuous body. She had brown hair that reached up to her middle back with one of her bangs covering her eyes. Her dress skirt had a long cut on it, showing her smooth yet toned legs.

"I'm Lu'Xi, I'm a commander of one of the Valmese's forces," she said with a seductive voice, "We already knew about your little plan, Tactician. Now, have a little fun time with these young boys."

She disappeared from sight. As soon as she left, the two started to attack.

"Also, look around you, sweetie," Lu'Xi's voice said.

A barrier surrounded me, separating me from my wife, Olivia, and Chrom. I was the only challenger here.

"What! How?!"

They both inched closer and closer. Rokh took the first move by doing a quick lunge with his lance. I managed to guard it with my axe and threw used the lower hook to disarm the lance. Rokh threw a powerful gut punch in retaliation and Machstein followed with an arm sweep. I felt my body agonize from the impact of the barrier and the hands of the gargantuan gripping my body and slamming me to the ground. I slowly got up and put my hand on a pouch placed on my belt.

"I'll have to drink this for now," I said and grabbing a bag of candy in my other hand, "And this."

I drank the Elixir and ate Gaius's confect afterward. I felt a surge of strength and rejuvenation from the consumables. The wounds were healed completely and I felt my muscles strengthen, as well as my reflexes.

_I just gotta make sure both are in my sights._

Rokh charged at me with his lance, but I managed to grip the handle with my axe and disarm him again. I saw the berserker tearing the floor with one of his axes as he charged forward. I leapt high up into the air, facing him face to face. I grabbed my Thoron tome and shot it through his face. He didn't even flinch from the bolt through his face. If I learned anything from most hero tales, you shouldn't be too dumbfounded by certain enemies surviving attacks. That means I'll have to be relentless.

"Alright, now!" I flipped forward in the air and used the force of my Thoron to push me over the large berserker. I grabbed my sword and pinned it on the berserker's back to slow my descent as well as damage him. The beast screamed in pain from the large scar I left on his back. I looked behind me and saw the lancer charging at me with immense speed. I rolled to the side and got up quickly, keeping my gaze on both inhuman warriors.

"I feel like I've fought someone similar to you guys... but at the same time, not entirely," I commented.

The two Risen didn't comment, only focusing on murdering the hell out of me. Rokh did his charge again, only this time, his charging attack was a feint, as shown through a disappearing image. I heard the sound of lightning surging through metal behind me, so I quickly turned around and guarded. It was too late... or so I saw in my head.

_I saw a vision of me dying from that attack, with the vision ending from me being executed by Machstein._

I hooked on the lance again and grabbed a dagger I loaded on my right hip and stabbed Rokh's arm with it. His armored wrist bounced the knife off, but the impact still caused the arm to flinch. I grabbed my tome and dropped it on the ground while drawing its magic power with my hand. I struck the ground with my palm and activated a pillar of wind that shredded anything around me. Rokh managed to resist the blow, but he had to back away in order to not absorb any extra damage.

The tornado dyed down and I wondered how I could foresee my own death. In fact, I've seen myself die to Alm, but for some reason, I've managed to catch sight of my death and recourse fate. I know I'd die one day, but this foresight seems to tell me that I shouldn't die here or earlier than I've expected.

_So Rokh, though small, has lower defense. Machstein on the other hand has monstrous vitality, but low defense and resistance. Rokh has superior speed and moderate strength, while Rokh is pure strength. Their strength is enough to desecrate me._

"Okay then..." I mumbled.

I went toward Rokh with my axe armed and did an overhead swing with overwhelming force. He guarded with his lance and countered with a blunt end pummel with his lance.

_So this is how it will go: If my prediction is correct..._

"Graaraagh!" I shouted in pain as my arm got severed by an axe. I couldn't feel or move my left arm. The latter dropped on the floor and I saw the stump remaining on my arm spewing out a seemingly endless amount of blood. I turned to the giant axe man with mad fury in my eyes. The mark on my hand started to shine brightly.

_If this is true, then I have to get really pissed off for this to work._

I roared like a mad lion on the hunt and swung my axe at Machstein's head. The vehement force left a large scar, which slowly and literally split his head open. When I landed on the ground, I breathed heavily as he dropped into the ground.

_**Tap more into this power, Alec!**_

_Don't control me, you!_

_**But if you let me do all the fighting for you, you can do cool stuff. Like this!**_

I saw an image of me transforming by blood into a giant demonic limb, using it to pierce Rokh.

_Just shut up!_

**_The more you resist, the more madder you get, and the more mad you get, the more you submit to me. But here's another thing, you might die if you cool down._**

_You know what... It's time I take a risk with this... You sound extremely similar. You're Sena, aren't you?!_

**_It's a secret~_**

_Honestly, if you're Grima, you sound WAY too casual to be one... and from what I heard, Grima is more vehement in swaying people to its cause._

**_Whatever, just-_**

"Alec!" Sumia suddenly screamed as I heard the sound of glass shattering.

I looked behind me and found out that Sumia broke through the barrier, with Tharja and Henry using a mysterious and rugged book to make a tear.

"Boss, I'm here to help," Brady said as he got his Recover staff.

I felt that dark energy dissipate. It seems that I can tap into its full power if I'm truly enraged. My rage was... deliberate. Vaike lifted my arm and put the torn side right next to the remaining stump of my left arm. Brady shone his staff on my arm, and I felt my nerves reconnect with my whole body.

_**You're very weak, Alec. You can't handle both of these people by yourself, relying on the powers of others to achieve it.**_

_I confess you speak some truth about me relying on others to fight. But unlike you, they need me too, because we fight to strengthen each other, and I'm not allowing some other person to fight for me. _

**_Suit yourself, casual._**

"Well, that's enough for now~," Lu'Xi's voice announced, "Rokh, bring Machstein back with you. This wasn't going according to plan."

A giant rift opened up, revealing Lu'Xi seductively beckoning the knight to come to her. Rokh put his hand on the dead giant and both were absorbed in a magical light. They appeared next to Lu'Xi, who held a Rescue staff.

"Wait!" I shouted as I dashed forward quickly. I was suddenly blocked by Rokh, who parried my sword easily with his lance. He shoved me away and entered the portal.

"What are you people?" Chrom said as he stood beside me.

"... Nothing too special."

The door disappeared as well as the barrier. The Dynasts who betrayed us have fallen thanks to the Shepherds. Saving my questioning later, I immediately lead the escape from Fort Steiger. Everyone followed suit, and soon we managed to get out of their sight.

* * *

**Camp, many meters away from Steiger.**

I just got into an argument with Sumia tonight. She just suddenly got angry with me when I got my arm cut off during that battle. I never knew that this barrier was actually a Hex?! I couldn't even hear them through the barrier. She thought I went suicidal after the whole arm-getting-chopped-off scene. I didn't want to hurt my wife any further, so I just stopped.

I looked at my recovered arm. I feel really stupid trying falling into temptation and impatience. If it weren't for Henry and Tharja's help, I would have bled out. I started to remember our little argument.

_"Why couldn't you have just waited?!" Sumia shouted._

_"I couldn't hear you through the barrier, and besides..."_

_"You're lucky that Henry and Tharja helped," she said angrily._

_"I could have took care of them myself! Besides, all you've been talking about is Henry this, Henry that."_

_"Do you still suspect Henry of being evil?!"_

_"Yes! If-"_

_She immediately slapped me and told me to get out. I was about to throw a fist at her, until I realized what I was doing. I grumbled and left the tent angrily._

"I don't know why, but my instincts tell me that Henry is still not what he seems. He's sadistic, yes, but is his sadism hard to sate? In fact..."

I heard a few footsteps coming from the distance. I looked behind me and saw one of the most unexpected people who would outright approach me: Tharja.

"Alec, do you have a moment?" she asked with a neutral tone.

"What is it?" I grumpily asked.

"You seem very tense, Alec. What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Tharja, I know that you stalk me, okay, but why with the sudden face change?" I asked rudely.

"Alec, look, just listen for once. Being openly nice isn't really my forte, and you know that since I love you so much, I wouldn't be too harsh on you," she said with a gentle smile.

I didn't want to arouse the topic of her commitment to Gaius due to it maybe being irrelevant to what she was about to say. I ignored the part about how much she loves me, because pretty much everyone knows she has an obsession of me including Gaius.

"I'll ask you a question: Do you hate Henry?" she asked.

"Hate? Yeah, sort of."

"I don't think so. I don't think you hate him that much," Tharja coldly commented, "I can sense a burning hatred for him inside of you. Why do you hate Henry?"

"... Why do you want to know this?"

"Because I want to know if you're willing to help me kill him," she said with a sharp grin.

"Kill him?!"

"Yes, now tell me why you hate him."

With a sigh, I let out my answer through my lips.

"Because I think he's trying to take my wife away from me. He's almost always hanging around her, and even my kids. I think he's trying to take away my family."

"Hmmm, I see."

"And he seems to be emotionally resilient too. I don't think I can break him down through words," I said, "Now, can you tell me why YOU want to kill Henry."

She grabbed that same book that Henry held when he opened the barrier. That book had a magic seal on it.

"I managed to take this book from Henry while he was away trying to tame Risen. Him knowing how to open that barrier is really suspicious," she noted, "... as if-"

"It was planned," we both said at the same time.

I sighed and shook my head.

"But Tharja, how can I trust you?"

"Listen, Alec, Henry just joined because of a redundant reason. I may be a stalker, but I still want to help you in this war... and my husband. So Alec, can you help me in killing Henry?"

I contemplated for a while. How were we going to kill Henry without the Shepherds exiling us for treachery? I still needed more time to think.

"... Let me think. Can you leave me be for now? Besides, why won't you cast a curse upon him or something?"

"Alright, fine, Alec. Just remember, I think he might be a traitor. He's being way too nice for a Dark Mage. As for the curse, Henry was actually widely known for powerful sorcery, and knows how to track the curse bringer and repel the curse itself."

Tharja stood up and walked away, leaving me in thought.

I looked at my sword. This blade was rusted from old age -approximately two years- and it still functioned fine. I might need to go to a blacksmith if we encounter a nearby village. I should really be thinking about what to do tomorrow. We managed to subdue the middle force's leader, but Excellus took her body for some reason. If Miriel's calculations were correct, someone who's frozen solid would die from having no respiration, low temperature -which slows the blood flow-, and... I don't know the rest.

Tharja has a good point. He never really explained where he got that book, and when we set up camp, he never spoke word of it and left to hunt Risen. Even Tharja seemed unfamiliar with a gigantic Hex barrier. If this is true, then how can I approach Sumia about it? Sumia is clearly interested in Henry. Am I being a bad husband, or is he just impressing her more. This feels like the start of a seven-year itch.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Well, College has begun for me, and consider this one of my rarer treats. The classes I'm in are pretty damn serious, so updating will be scarce. I've started on Chapter 31, and right now, I'm too caught up with a bunch of College crap.**

**Starting next week... month... semester, I might update. I don't know... I feel like I'll miss you guys, and miss out on continuing. Keep in touch, people, and I hope y'all have a great day/evening.**

**Edit: I scrapped Nate's story as to keep the actual story continuing. I'm not going to make this like that Magi arc with the whole flashback.**

**Alec will return.**


	33. Yen'fay's Inferno

**Author's Notes**

**Freaking Mid-terms. Luckily for me, I found time to write and decided to write before I begin my study.  
**

**Nonetheless, enjoy what I have to offer; this will be a pretty rare treat.**

* * *

**Chapter 31**

**Yen'fay's Inferno  
**

**Battlefield near Valm Palace**

Khan Basilio and Khan Flavia lead an army of Feroxi to fend off Walhart's northern forces as to keep Alec's forces busy with Yen'fay's forces. It rained heavily, with the dark clouds enshrouding the field in a melancholic light. Of course, this atmosphere didn't prevent the battle hungry Khans and their forces from feeling the dread of the atmosphere.

"Khan Basilio, that thing is stopping all of us!" a soldier said, cowering from the enemy.

"What are you doing cowering, soldier?" Basilio said, "Get your arse into battle!"

Lifeless corpses rained by the Khans, surprising the latter. A large shadow engulfed them not from an army, but a single man in red metallic armor.

"By the Gods," Flavia showed surprise through her shrinking irises, "He didn't send an army, he sent only himself."

"Hmph, the Feroxi are little more than an amalgamation of savage troops believing they are truly powerful," Walhart said as he swung off the blood on his black axe blade.

"So you're Walhart! I'm sorry, but army or not, I'm not letting you through!"

Basilio charged forward and clashed his axe with Walhart's. While both clashed, Basilio's gritted teeth showed he was trying hard to win this contest of strength. The Conqueror, who had inhuman strength, showed only a blank face while holding his axe with one hand. Flavia, who stood in the background noted this and was utterly scared of his inhuman power.

Walhart the Conqueror isn't the generic armchair general. This man had fearsome strength, possibly being that beyond human. Basilio's strength was unmatched back in Ferox, but she never saw someone with such strength.

"Back off, worm!" Walhart pushed his axe forward and used the "hook" of his axe to disarm Basilio. He then threw a powerful axe swing at the unarmed Basilio with his special axe, gashing a large wound to the Feroxi Titan's chest.

"Basilio!"

He was about to throw another blow, only for Flavia to intervene. Walhart smiled in interest not from Flavia's speed, but Basilio's vitality.

"How interesting, you still stand up even from a single stroke from my Wolf Berg."

Basilio stood up and grabbed a hammer from a Feroxi corpse close by. With a mighty roar, he threw a powerful overhead swing upon Walhart's head. While it hit him spot on, his armor didn't dent, even when the hammer was strong against armored units. Basilio rooted his feet on Walhart's horse and leaped up high once more, throwing a much more powerful swing on the Conqueror.

"Hrrgh!" Walhart's face shifted from Basilio's attack. He grabbed Basilio's hammer and tossed it aside. He reeled his head back and shot it at the Khan's head. The force of Walhart's inhuman headbutt enfeebled Basilio as he fell to the ground.

"BASILIO!" Flavia shouted to the nearly dead oaf.

Flavia ran toward the oaf and knelt down before him. Walhart just sat on his horse, looking at the scene.

"Flavia... you must... flee. Give... Gules to Chrom... now!"

"You give it, you oaf!"

"I'm already finished, you wench! If you don't give it to Chrom now, then consider our future dead! Listen to me for once why don't you instead of just considering everything I say a joke!"

Flavia grabbed the gem from Basilio and fled from the scene. Basilio slowly closed his eyes, feeling the embrace of Thanatos. Walhart scoffed at him and rode away from the scene. He only sent himself so that his forces would prepare to reclaim Valm Harbor again. If Yen'fay were to fail, then he'd prepare his defense at his palace. For the Shepherds, he believed that the Blade Legend, Yen'fay would destroy them... or so he thought.

* * *

**Demon's Ingle**

Sumia is still in a bad mood, though for some reason, I'm rather suspicious of it. She decides to go with Henry, so I decided I had to go with Cherche; Lon'qu felt overworked from being sent to too much skirmishes. Minerva is a rather serious wyvern compared to Cugar, though the latter prefers to use fire breaths.

"Let's end this quick, Alec. Minerva dislikes extremely hot places," she said as she pet her wyvern.

Since this was an extremely hot place, I put only my breastplate and undershirt on with my pants and boots still intact. I tied my coat around my waist. I hate sweating a lot, and this place just made me hate it more, yet, my Tactician's Instinct finds Demon's Ingle a good place to fight.

Legends say Duma, a horrific beast, was defeated in this area, and this is his grave. Some people believe Duma's wrath still lingers in this volcano. Surprisingly, I knew what a volcano was before Say'ri explained it. My memories are recovering slowly... yet the nexus of my memories remain a mystery.

For this match, I had mostly aerial units to traverse through the pits easily. Sumia, Cordelia, Nate, and Cherche were our fliers, with a person riding alongside them. After witnessing treasure chests, I sent Gaius to retrieve them while we cleared out surrounding enemies. Good thing we have Virion and Gaius, both loaded with bows and high strength alongside magicians with wind magic; those griffin riders were easy to eliminate. There were many paladins, but Cordelia and Sumia had Beast Killers ready. Some of us managed to use the hot terrain to enfeeble our enemies.

The last few forces were left, defending their leader, Yen'fay. Yen'fay was meditating as the forces vehemently defended him. After they were through, I approached Yen'fay. His eyes remained closed as he stood up from the ground.

"I am Yen'fay, that's all you need to know."

"I know what your name is. You're Say'ri's sister, and if Asura was right, you were an opponent who has fought him."

Yen'fay's eyebrows perked, yet he retained his frown and closed eyes.

"Asura was one of my greatest opponents, and yet he decided to not join in rebelling against Walhart's reign."

"Why did you-"

I felt a small cut on my right arm as I saw Yen'fay drawing out one katana with a single hand. What's peculiar was that he stood near me, and his blade's length wasn't long enough to reach me.

"No more questioning. Let's fight!"

I drew my sword and attempted to strike first. Yen'fay's closed eyes perked from the sound of the sword drawing from my sheathe and reacted immediately. He quickly clashed my blade with his, keeping the same calm face from before.

"Alec, let me help!" I heard Sumia shout as she approached us.

Pillars of lava coincidentally surrounded Yen'fay and I, causing Sumia to back away. If I can't get any outside help, then it will just be a battle between two swordsmen. I looked around and realized there were magic circles on the ground surrounding us. This wasn't natural, these lava pillars were magically commanded.

"Sumia, gather the other fliers and check the area around the battlefield for anyone with magic," I said, "For now, I'm going to have to fight Yen'fay!"

"Alec! Are you sure? Say'ri said he was a Blade Legend."

"I sparred with a similar Blade Legend, Sumia," I replied as I blocked a swift strike from the swordsman, "Don't you trust your own husband?"

"Um uhhh..."

She was hesitant at first, with a similar unsure look. I smiled warmly and nodded to her.

"I trust you, Sumia. Now go!"

She nodded and flew toward the others.

Yen'fay definitely had a speed advantage, but according to my Tactician's Insight (the ability I have that I'm able to scan a person's stats), he has average strength. Yet, the sword he uses is powerful and those hooked segments can be strong disarming tools. Luckily I've trained with Asura during my mercenary journeys and know how to reel in my blade fast enough before anyone can disarm it.

"...! You know it!" Yen'fay said in surprise.

I threw a quick one handed swing with my sword and let go. I secretly grabbed my tome with my other hand and felt the energy of the tome surge through me.

"Thoron!" I shot out my right hand to the Blade Legend, only for him to dodge it fluidly.

"You're-" His swing connected with my sword swing as I held my blade with one hand, "...distracted."

Yen'fay immediately drew another sword on his right hip with his left hand, swinging what looked like a Noble Rapier. It gashed my stomach, but the wound wasn't deep. During the past battles, I've managed to absorb brutal blows and slashes from swords, spears, and axes alike. Heck, I even did that just for the sake of strategy, but I knew moments where my opponents could kill me if I were to be reckless. Heck, I've took my arm being cut off once, and even though it was agonizing, I still managed to get its functionality back in a short time thanks to Lissa.

"...You're sturdy..." the Blade Legend noted.

Yen'fay entered a martial arts pose and suddenly summoned 4 images of him mirroring his pose. I dashed toward the real Yen'fey, who I managed to discover using the strange vision I've somehow gained in the beginning of my journey. Despite this, Yen'fay disappeared quickly, along with his clones. I felt a sudden sharp pain of five simultaneous sword swings on me, as if I was hit by an instant Astra. Blood suddenly gashed out from the wounds Yen'fey has struck on me, forcing my injured body to kneel. Yen'fey threw a powerful stab at my chest with his serrated sword. I started to barf out some blood.

"...You're finished."

All of a sudden, I saw a flash. The vision of me killing Henry was revisited. I remembered me having to stab myself just to injure him. The vision ended, and all I saw in my hands is a sword.

"You can't even properly hit me at your current position," the Blade Legend said as he moved his sword up slowly.

"Y-yes I..." I grabbed my sword and widened my eyes as my irises shrunk in fury, "CAN!"

I stabbed myself, making sure my blade would reach him. I heard the sound of his flesh gashing, as well as mine. This feeling is hell, but the past battles were also quite hellish. I was nearly killed by Gangrel, a berserker, a giant axe man, many mercenaries who were out for my blood. Heck, I still remember I survived for a while after attempting that move by Asura, and that hurt way more than this.

Even at times where I didn't even have to hunt, I had to forcefully defend myself. I carried a sword around me or at least a hidden knife to defend myself.

"Urk!"

His armor was easy to pierce due to the fact that Swordmasters were never one for defense; they focus on pure speed and skill with some strength.

"I got you!"

I levitated my tome and grabbed it with my left hand. I reeled my arm forward and felt magical electricity surge through my arm.

"Thoron!"

I threw a powerful elbow that didn't reach him, but still let out a powerful electrical beam that pierced through him.

I slowly stood up and kept my sword up high. I had a good amount of vitality left, and Yen'fey seemed to have sustained a good amount of damage to keep standing.

We zoomed into each other and kept on clashing our blades relentlessly. Yen'fey's speed has considerably decreased from the injuries sustained. Mine too, after he cut a part of my muscles, making it harder for my strikes to go fast. Nonetheless, my experience in the past full of sword fighting blessed me with great insight on my opponent's technique.

I threw a powerful one handed swing at him, causing him to be launched away with a spin. The only problem was that his feet are still on the ground. His sword was still out yet I saw something strange.

"No.. it can't..."

I put up my sword to guard his attack, but it was a very foolish move. My sword was cleanly cut by his draw technique. I was in a state of distress from the sight of my weapon being destroyed. A large cut suddenly opened on my chest. I puked out massive amount of blood from that strike and I was once again on my knees. I was breathing hard... it was hard to breathe. It was hard to move my limbs, and I'm dying.

_I don't want to die._

"... A true warrior defeated in battle," he drew his sword and was about to strike, "... deserves a true warrior's death."

The sight of Sumia suddenly appeared; a quick mental glimpse of her smiling face.

I quickly threw a powerful parrying swing at his blade with my arm. The blade bounced off my arm despite its fleshy shield. I simply used telekinesis with that swing to basically coat my hand and repel that swing.

"A true warrior will fight tooth and nail for who they love!"

"...!" Yen'fay flinched from my sudden rise.

"You're serving the wrong person, Yen'fay," I telekinetically pulled my broken sword and tome and equipped them.

"You serve a person who struck tyrannic fear upon you," I pointed my sword at him and discharged a powerful chain of electricity at Yen'fay.

"Gragh!" He attempted to guard it with his blade, only for the electricity to flow through his blade.

"You don't love your sister like how Say'ri claimed!" I shot forward and threw a powerful body blow to the stab wound I dealt.

"If you loved your sister dearly, how come you sacrificed your country for the sake of the ones who tyrannized it?"

With Yen'fay's silence, I reeled my head back and threw a powerful headbutt which knocked him away. He lay on the ground, defeated and unable to battle. I grabbed both of the swords and looked at them.

"Finish... me... off," Yen'fay said weakly.

"Tell me why you joined Walhart instead of fighting with us?"

"... I cannot... tell.. you."

"Why not? You're about to die, and yet you remain stubborn? Your sister is with us! Say'ri talks of you as a loving and caring brother, and yet you betray her like this!? The least you can do is impart what caused you to betray everything!"

"..."

Yen'fay ceased movement and finally died.

A mysterious pentacle appeared before Yen'fay, revealing an ugly purple haired creature.

"Ah, so you've defeated Yen'fay, huh?" it said in a very gender-ambiguous voice.

"Excellus! Whatever you're doing..." I extended my palm toward him and charged a ball of electricity, "I'm not gonna let you get away."

"Hahaha. Do you think I fear you? You're just their measly tactician," he said mockingly, "But really, I came here just to tell you some news."

"Let me hear your last words, snake," I said with an angered voice.

"Yen'fay only fought for the Valmese because of Say'ri!"

"What do you mean?!" Chrom entered the scene and pointed a spear at the snake.

"That little princess was basically our ticket for having Yen'fay to side with us. Little Say'ri thought she was quick and elusive, but I had a Valmese force under my wing that can basically kill you anytime! And as long as we didn't attack you, he'd work for us! Plus, he was always prideful and reserved, which proved powerful in our little alliance."

"Monster! You silenced and sent a great man to die!" Say'ri was angry as she walked toward Excellus, "I'll kill you!"

"Hehehe, bye~" he teleported away before Say'ri could slice the ugly wretch.

I looked at my sword and then eyed at Yen'fay's body. I walked over to his body and struck my sword by his side. I grabbed his serrated sword and examined it. I turned to Say'ri, who was panting from her pent up fury and gave her Yen'fay's sword. She grabbed the sword with one hand and nodded.

"Yen'fay's stubborn demeanor cost him his life. He may have died a valiant warrior, and accomplished protecting you, but this death shouldn't have happened."

"I am deeply troubled, Alec. I repaid my brother's kindness with his death. My brother would have been saved if only he spoke."

Say'ri began to cry and shot Yen'fay's sword into the ground. She knelt down in misery from us killing her brother.

"Say'ri, this isn't your fault," Chrom said, "We did all we could, and your brother knew that. The blame isn't upon you, it's the empire and that snake, Excellus."

Say'ri was taken aback from Chrom's words of truth.

"Yen'fay wouldn't want you to wallow in despair forever," I said as I grabbed her brother's sword and pointed it at her, "Yen'fay would pass his will upon you. And his will is to liberate Chon'sin. No, bigger. To liberate all of Valm for your sake."

"A-Alec?"

"We are the Shepherds, Say'ri. We help those with true justified rage and help you achieve the impossible."

"Lend us your rage toward Excellus and the tyranny of the Valmese empire, Say'ri," Chrom said, "That rage will be satiated once we get what is rightfully ours. Our cause is yours, and yours ours."

Say'ri, empowered by our words stood up with reinvigorated fervor. She grabbed the sword as well as inheriting his brother's will.

"I thank thee, Sir Alec, and Prince Chrom."

She swung off the blood on Yen'fay's sword and closed her eyes in deep thought as she sheathed it slowly. Chrom went into the middle and spoke out his command.

"Shepherds, we return to Ylisse to prepare for the battle at Valm Castle!"

As we left the volcano, a fire pillar erupting was heard behind me. Yen'fay and my broken blade were completely incinerated from that blast. I sighed and smiled as I walked forward.

"Rest well, Blade Legend."

* * *

**Ship to Ferox  
**

While we weren't going to have a battle in the next few weeks, I decided to take a rest on my desk. Ever since she started to work with Henry, she started to treat me much worse. I feel like I'm supposed to be aggressive and show her she's submissive, but I don't want to deter my wife. It's just... I'm afraid to argue because sometimes I have a lack of words to say, and I really can't take arguments. Plus, I had the fate of many soldiers in my hands, so I don't always have time for one person.

"Dad, what's going on? Where's mother?" Morgan asked as she put a blanket over my shoulder.

"Mother told me she wants to hang around Henry," I replied.

I was really in no mood to talk, but Morgan is my daughter, and I feel the need to not overreact harshly.

"Dad, why aren't you being protective? You've been with each other for two years," Morgan said.

"Do you even know what had happened while we were married?" I said with a bit of a grumpy voice, "The last two years?"

For the last two years, I was mostly in mercenary work, and the moments we were together weren't that much. After my marriage, I had a dream of when an army of horseback soldiers invaded Ylisse. Chrom and I were unprepared, and we were easily pushed aside. I've had visions like this before, but the exact time of this was unknown to me that time. Since Chrom didn't need a war tactician, I was pretty much left jobless.

While I wanted to become stronger for this war in the unknown future, I also wanted a bit of adventure. That's where Gregor comes in, and Gregor knows where to find a good job. The more I did mercenary work, the more I spent less time with Sumia.

I think she was getting more stressed and aggravated from loneliness despite the fact she had Cordelia and other friends from the Shepherds to talk with. We've fought some times; there was a big fight that almost got us divorced, which made me fear that getting angry at her would make her leave.

"N-no, but um, can you tell me?"

I lifted my head up and looked at her with a forlorn look.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked.

"I'm your daughter from the future, father. I was in a similar situation as you, and without memories of my family, I start to not feel acknowledged or welcome in your family."

Poor Morgan. I haven't been spending time with her for a while (she was mostly hanging out with Brady, whom I fully approve of their relationship).

"All we've been doing are talking about tactics, practicing, and even some story writing," Morgan said, "But really, I've only known little tidbits of your life, and I-..." Morgan started to hesitate.

Morgan started to tear up and then she embraced me, digging her head into my chest.

"Father! Do you really love me?" she sobbed for a while, staining my chest with her tears and some snot.

I pat her on the back to calm her down.

"Of course I do, Morgan. If I didn't, I could have freely let you die in the battlefield," I replied, "But, Sumia not being with me for a long time had made me realize I'm getting distant from my family, the most important thing I've never remembered having."

"T-thank you, father," she continued to sob.

"It all started when..."

I told her of the events that happened throughout the two years. Before I forgot, I grabbed my journal that I wrote on of my adventures in mercenary work. After one quarter of my story was done, Morgan fell asleep in my arms. With a smile, I bridal carried my daughter to my bed and took off her coat to keep her temperature in bed normal. I took off her boots as I found it rude to have any footwear on the bed. I lay her on my bed and let her snuggle up to me as she continued to sleep.

"Good night, Morgy," I said with a soft smile.

Despite her sleeping state, she still uttered a smile as she snuggled closer. It was already night time, so I decided I should sleep as well.

* * *

**An hour later**

Sumia walked down the hallway of the ship while wiping herself with a cloth. She trained with Sully in lancing while on foot, and boy was she a brutal fighter. Nonetheless, Sumia used her agility and grace to outmaneuver Sully's fusion of brute force and technique. She returned to the bedroom that Alec shared with her. She started feeling a bit distant from being with Henry more often.

"Am I being unfaithful to my marriage?" she asked herself.

When she opened the door, she was surprised by the sight beholding her. Alec was asleep with not only Morgan, but Nate and Cynthia as well. She also realized that Morgan was in the center, as if it was to symbolize something. She giggled to herself shortly and walked toward her family. She changed into proper sleepwear and decided to join in their snuggle fest. She lay beside Alec and embraced her. She both smiled and cried at the same time from being with her husband. A hand suddenly wiped her tear much to her surprise.

"Welcome home, Sumia," Alec said groggily as he turned to her.

Sumia lay her head on Alec's shoulder and let out her tears.

"Shhh... it's okay. Let's go to sleep, it's getting late."

Husband and wife shortly fell asleep in each others arms... as well as the arms of their future offspring. The warmth of Sumia and her other kids was enough to bring a tear to his eye. He doesn't know how to really run a family yet, but he knows that his family will love him no matter what kinds of mistakes he made.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Midterms will be coming up once I post this. I don't know how long I'll be gone once again, but I'll try my hardest to bit together ideas for the next chapter. Even though it doesn't look like it, I know how this will end, and I hope you, the reader, will stay with me till this ends. I really want to end this fanfiction before I begin my new Earthbound Fanfiction.**

**While I have Sm4sh for 3DS, I highly doubt I'll buy a Wii U for Sm4sh. I'd buy it for HW too, but I iz poorz. Sure, there's eight player Smash, more stages, more music, better graphics, but both have the same gameplay. **

**It's kinda like a McDouble and a Double Cheeseburger. Is it worth to pay a bit more for basically the same thing? A McDouble has one less cheese than the Double Cheeseburger, and they'll basically satisfy your hunger similarly.**

**My point is that both have the same gameplay, and that the Wii U just spices the gameplay with non-gameplay changing factors (HD, more players, different stages etc.).**

**But yeah, Happy Halloween. Now I gotta study... See you next month.**


	34. Wall Valm

**Chapter 32: Wall Valm**

It had been a week ever since we returned to Ylisse. Sumia and I started to slow recover our bond over the time. She started to hang out with Henry less and more with me and my family.

In the barracks, Chrom and I just finished our training, and we both sat down, eating some apples.

"Your swordplay has improved throughout the years," Chrom commented.

"Ever since I became your tactician, I had to keep up as much as I can," I said, "You know, in case I join some sort of fight between a bunch of other characters from worlds beyond the Outrealm gate."

"What?"

"I suppose you'll get your chance another day," I was speaking a bit of gibberish, but really, I was trying to humor him.

"What?"

"Never mind," I chuckled to myself, leaving Chrom confused.

Flavia suddenly ran to us and panted from exhaustion. She had a very worried look on her face.

"Guys, Basilio has been killed in cold blood by Walhart," she announced with bated breath.

Chrom and I were surprised. Lucina attempted to halt Basilio from stalling the forces of Walhart because it would eventually lead him to his fated death. I was also worried because Basilio and I made a secret plan that only we both knew... or maybe most of the Shepherds do. If he actually died, then my plan had failed.

"Are you kidding me?!" Chrom said, "How are you so certain?"

"I witnessed it too," a familiar voice said.

A towering berserker walked beside Flavia with his large axe resting on his shoulder.

"Mustafa?" I exclaimed.

"We meet again, Alec," he said calmly, "Ever since the war against Plegia ended, my family and I relocated to Ferox."

"This hulk is like our own little Basilio," Flavia said, "He immediately joined our army as a co-commander."

"Walhart's 'force' consisted of only himself," Mustafa said, "and he effortlessly killed many of the Feroxi warriors that we commanded. I attempted to fight too, but I had to hold back after taking a near fatal blow from him. Despite the injury, I saw the battle and saw our great Khan fall."

"If Basilio is dead then where's-"

Flavia interrupted me by holding up Gules.

"Are you looking for this?" Flavia asked, "That oaf apparently had this in his possession for the whole time."

"Why didn't he give it to us earlier?" Chrom asked.

"I don't even know, but you need it more than me," Flavia said as she handed the gemstone to Chrom, "... Stupid oaf."

Gules was put into the empty socket on the Fire Emblem. The more stones placed in it, the more powerful the aura around it becomes prominent. Chrom could feel the power, and his face basically shows his reaction to great power being attained.

"Damn, why did Basilio had to die..."

"They say the larger the man, the larger the void left in people's hearts," Flavia commented with a sad look.

"Basilio was a titan, and he'll surely be missed by his loved ones," Chrom added.

"Basilio was lively to allies and in battle," I said, remembering the time he and I did a "warm up" in a bandit's fortress, "Adept with the axe, and the ale."

I chuckled softly from that memory, yet cried a bit.

The mourning was saved for later when Say'ri bolted toward us.

"I bring news, friends," she said, "The scouts have reported that Walhart's troops are retreating to the capital."

"They retreated? Good. They didn't plan to reclaim Valm Harbor," I said.

"Strangely, the turncoats have retreated as well," Say'ri added

These turn of events were surprising... especially for me. The dynast turncoats may have been under Yen'fay's command... what could this mean?

"Despite their size, we still don't have a strong army to overtake their horseback unit," I said, "We'll have to take down the main force while the other forces deal with the rest of the army."

"That's the spirit, Alec," Flavia patted me harshly on the back, "My Feroxi shall lend you their blades."

"And mine dynasts who remain shall serve you," Say'ri said.

"Alright, Alec, we're going back to Valm. The Conqueror's reign ends now!"

* * *

**Valm Palace Walls**

The fortress was gargantuan. The walls extended past the hills to our right and left, and according to our scouts, there's a large expanse of green fields behind this wall, of course filled with small villages spread around.

"Whoa, so this is the Valmese Wall?" I said as I saw the size of it, "It's so big, that we might need someone as tall as 60 meters to breach it."

"Huh?" Chrom said in confusion.

When I talked about the 60 foot person, I remembered the image of a large man with no skin, destroying a giant wall similar to this.

Speaking of which, I've been having visions lately; visions of the future battles that are about to come. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it does. For the first few battles, I've tried to rely on this visions, but some of my fellow Shepherds helped me to become a much more skill-reliant tactician.

Virion helped me in Chess, and even though I initially hated Chess, I eventually learned a few tactics from him (though with my own twist of preserving units as opposed to sacrificing them). Sumia found some books for me to read based on tactics. One was a supposed diary of the Hero-King's most trusted ally, who was also a tactician. There were only small excerpts, but authors attempted to interpret them as closest to the original as possible.

A large gate in front of us opened up. Horsemen swarmed out like locusts, each carrying a weapon, be it from silver swords to Bolganone tomes.

My Dread Fighter garbs were loaded with everything I needed. I had a halberd on my back, my killing edge on my left hip, and a Thoron tome on my right hip. My armor was quite light compared to most of the other soldiers in my team, but I can still shrug off some damage while moving swiftly.

I handpicked my squadron before heading out. Sumia teamed up with Cynthia, and I was with Morgan, whom I promised to fight alongside with a few days ago.

There were many fortresses to our left and right, all guarded by a horseback Valmese. There were even larger forces to our left and right. Flavia leads her own force of Feroxi, while Say'ri would lead another half with a mixture of Feroxi and Dynasts. Ylissean soldiers would help both Flavia's army and Say'ri's army.

"Alec, do you see that large man in red armor?" Chrom asked me as he pointed at the giant armored man.

"Is that the Conqueror?"

While it was really far, I could see that he's very imposing and holds what looks like a sword. It looked like he was announcing something to his fellow soldiers as he raised his weapon as if they've already won.

"They're coming!" I said, "We hold them off and then we make it for the southern fortresses!"

Morgan and I were part of the front lines. Despite daddy's little girl being all meek and cheerful at camp, she's a relentless fighter on the field. She loved to use the lance and ever since Nate has found another Outrealm Fragment, we found a place where Magvel and Elibean Einherjar fought against Tellius Einherjar.

We sided with the Tellius Einherjar and through that battle, Princess Eirika of Renais visited me... wearing a wedding gown. She told me if I'd still trust a friend even if they were trying to trick me. I said no... I really didn't know why. When she questioned me about my trust for my teammates, I said a certain person might be trying to trick me.

Ever since then, Morgan donned the Bridal outfit, which was a magical armor that provided decent defense yet allowed her great agility despite the puffiness of the dress. She equipped a Silver Lance and the Astra Bow Virion had; he now wields Nidhogg.

"Father, I'll support from afar," Morgan said, "I'll tag along and you deal with close-range affairs."

"Pretty sure I thought of that, Morgy," I said.

I brandished my halberd and saw a great knight with a sword approach me. His arm and sword together had shorter range compared to my halberd. When he got close, I threw a horizontal swing with my halberd, aiming at his right rib. The sword didn't reach me in time as the Halberd's range already got to his body more quickly. The halberd managed to pierce a bit of his armor, so I used the hook of the axe to pull him off the saddle. I quickly grabbed my tome with my right hand and levitated my halberd via Telekinesis. I outstretched my left palm and shot a small Thoron beam at the downed knight, killing him.

"Father, more horsemen are coming!" Morgan reminded me.

"I'll handle these," Kellam went in front of me with an axe on one hand and a large shield on the other.

"You've got to notice THIS!" A charging paladin attempted to lunge at him, but he used his massive shield to parry the strike.

He reeled in his axe and extended the chain that linked the butt of his axe and his wrist. He swung at the rider with vehement force; it was enough to get him off his seat. Kjelle, his daughter and a powerful great knight, joined her father.

"Alec, we'll handle them just like how the plan went," Kjelle said, "You, Chrom, and the others should continue."

"You don't have to state the obvious, Kjelle," I said with a smile as Morgan and I advanced.

More of those horseback knights came in fast; a group of dark knights and bow knights. Morgan got Astra ready and spun an arrow around. What I noticed was that she spun her arrows fast enough to show many afterimages; I was partially right. She actually held five arrows at once and spun them with amazing dexterity. She shot five swift consecutive shots in quick succession at one horseman, immediately felling the horseman. She brandished her spear and advanced toward the bow knights. Despite having a range advantage, Morgan was too quick for the bow knight she targeted, already closing the distance before he could take aim. She threw a rising lunge with her spear and landed gracefully after doing an elegant back flip. Chrom charged at the other bow knight with a silver spear and stabbed the horse's leg as to keep the soldier still. Olivia quickly landed on the horse and threw a powerful sword slice at her opponent's abdomen.

"Great work, team," I said with a brief grin, "The fortress isn't too far away."

We continued to press on; the amount of defenders near the forts diminished little by little through our efforts. The east side had a bit of trouble, but they managed to go through their objective without anyone dying. We had to secure the forts as to prevent further reinforcements, but also to prepare for the defense of the northern forces.

"Father, they've got Wyvern Lords!" Nate said as he armed himself with a Wyrmslayer, "Nah and I will secure the area, along with Kjelle and what's-his-face."

"Alright. And what's-his-face is Kellam."

Chrom and I went northward, slicing aside the wyvern riders. Chrom could easily destroy them with his Falchion due to its innate anti-dragon power. Despite this, Chrom's Falchion is sealed and hurts normal opponents as much as an iron sword does. Regardless, it's unbreakable, being able to survive time itself as it was used by the Hero-King, Marth himself... though, that was the blade that survived; the hilts and the handles had to be reformed time to time.

We managed to take hold of the fortresses on the north side. It took a huge stamina toll on me as I spent most of the time running through the fields. My small group was tired as well, and we took refuge inside the fortresses.

"Here's hoping that Flavia and Say'ri's forces will try their hardest to prevent any outer intrusions," I said as I panted.

"We're facing their leader, Alec," Chrom said, "Walhart may be their leader, but he's not one to always sit down and command."

"Well, what do you-"

The wall behind me ruptured from a mysterious force, causing me to back away. I sustained some injury from that, but I was able to continue fighting.

"Bold move, tactician," the mighty voice announced.

I looked at the floor by the hole and saw a mighty black and red axe. It looked extremely heavy; too heavy for a mere mortal to carry. I heard the steps of a horse as the gargantuan conqueror entered, picking up his axe.

"Hmph, I shouldn't waste Wolf Berg on craven like you," Walhart sheathed his axe and brandished the Sol sword as he stared at me with empty, yet furious eyes.

"I am Walhart, the Conqueror. You are none other than a grain of sand on my feet."

Walhart's horse stood up on two feet and stomped on the ground, causing a short quake that pushed me away. I saw his stats and saw that his physical prowess -strength, defense, speed, skill- were inhumanly high. But what if I use my halberd on him?

I got up and charged at him with my Halberd. Walhart didn't try to avoid it, but he was actually willing to take it. I managed to hit him on the chest, but the blade barely dented his armor.

"Fool, I will let no hammer or halberd break my will!" he sliced my Halberd's handle with his sword and swung at me. His strength knocked me back far and left a large cut on my armor.

_Looks like magic is the only effective way to defeat him. _I thought.

I stayed down for a while, catching my breath and regaining my composure.

Morgan aimed her arrow at Walhart's head, only for the projectile to be caught by Walhart's hand.

"How amusing," Walhart said sarcastically, "Sadly for you, dame, I kill anyone who dares rebel!"

He commanded his horse to charge at Morgan. I aimed my Thoron to where he was about to go, but the Conqueror was smart enough to back away from the incoming thunderbolt.

"Heh, you really think I'll let you hit me with magic?!" Walhart turned to me with a cocky smile.

"No, but I won't let your horse move!" Morgan attempted to shoot arrows at the horse's legs, but the latter dodged it without a hitch.

"Gotcha!" His horse was in mid flight, so he had no chance to dodge my incoming Thoron. It hit Walhart and sundered his armor. While his resistance was low, he still didn't waiver and charged at me as soon as his steed landed. I was about to draw my sword until Chrom intervened and clashed his Falchion with Walhart's sword.

"Prince, why do you oppose me?"

"You killed many innocents and stole away land just for the sake of power!" Chrom replied as he repelled Walhart's swing.

"Oh really? How do you think belligerents win wars? We send men to FIGHT!" Walhart did an overhead swing on Chrom, causing him to guard it, "And they will fight, knowing that they'll die for a greater cause!"

They both continued to clash steel until Chrom managed to parry one of Walhart's strikes.

"... This isn't about soldiers, Walhart," Chrom scraped his blade as he dashed forward and threw a rising slash, denting Walhart's armor and causing him to flinch, "You threaten innocents; people who are unable to fight for themselves!"

Walhart's horse threw a headbutt at the Prince, which knocked back the latter far. He charged at the prince, but I shot a beam of electricity at his back, only for it to desecrate his armor and cape.

"Get away from him," I said, "You're not trying to achieve peace. You're trying to achieve despair!"

"Despair?" he questioned me, "Under my rule, no one will fight each other anymore!"

"Father, catch!" Morgan tossed me Fimbulvetr, which I caught with my free hand. I looked at Walhart and outstretched my palm towards him.

"Fimbulvetr!" A cold gale consumed the Conqueror, causing him to slow down.

"Dad, catch!" Nate flew in and tossed me a Levin Sword, which I managed to grab with my sword hand.

I ran toward the frozen Conqueror and threw a powerful lunge at his chest. I heard armor get torn, but it wasn't his breastplate.

"Fool, a Conqueror has to conquer ALL terrains," he grabbed my Levin Sword despite the magical electricity surge through him, "Why do you think I gave Pheros the Fimbulvetr Tome?"

He tossed me down and I felt my leg getting crushed under his horse's hoof. I screamed in pain from hearing my bone crack.

"Father!"

"This is nature, dame," Walhart said coldly as he stared at me, "Fathers will kill other fathers... your 'father' is no exception."

I looked at his breastplate and saw an opening. A blue arrow from Morgan hit it spot on, causing the Conqueror to wince in pain despite his massive vitality. I telekinetically commanded my Levin Sword to pierce that spot.

"A world consumed by fear is despair. While an ample amount of fear is innate in life, a fearful world isn't a world anyone wants to live in."

I grabbed my Thoron tome and conducted a powerful chain of lightning at my Levin Sword/

"You can't force peace. Peace between others is accomplished through mutuality."

Walhart was being electrocuted from the huge burst of electricity, frying his body from the inside. After my spell ended, Walhart panted from the massive electrocution, yet remained exhausted. I heard Chrom yell loudly as he charged at Walhart. I managed to pull out my sword from the armor cavity, giving Chrom room to pierce his lance. Chrom started to exude a yellow and blue aura. This looked like Aether, but at the same time, it wasn't.

"Aether Beta!" Chrom did a single pierce with his lance, tearing a part of Walhart's armor as well as having his wounds healed.

"Grrgh!" Walhart fell off his horse and tumbled. When it stopped, he was crouching, refusing to kneel.

"Curses. Why do you follow the rules of the old? The rules of 'Gods', 'Kings', your sister... I only bring a revolution that destroys these rules..." Walhart slowly stood up and walked away with his horse, "You're little more than a puppet on the stage of a god. True freedom and peace shall be achieved through me, and I'm humanity's hope of breaking the barrier between god and man... I'll bring a world where there will *cough* be no Gods to base our lives on. I will usher in... true freedom and peace!"

"Freedom?" Chrom replied, "Your 'freedom' is ironically oppressive."

Horsemen came to his aid and halted us from coming to him.

"... We must retreat!"

"Oh no you don't!" I attempted to fire a Thoron beam, only to be blocked by Lu'Xi, who immediately appeared.

"Not yet, Allie-boy," she said with a wink, "We need to keep the audience on their seats."

Morgan channeled the blue and purple flame energy Nate and I had and focused it on one arrow.

"You're not letting him get away!" Morgan shot the arrow at her, which managed to pierce through her shield and shred some of her skin. Despite her damage, she still smiled victoriously.

"I did way before you pierced my shield."

She teleported away, revealing that Walhart has disappeared.

I couldn't move my leg due to the outstanding strength of Walhart's horse. Morgan approached me with a Mend staff on her hand. She was not very good at staves yet, but her innate magic prowess amplified her healing, making it seem like she's recovering someone with a Recover staff with just a Mend staff. I felt my bones reconnect from the healing light, so I waved around my leg to test its functionality.

"Thanks, Morgan," I said with a smile.

"Your welcome, father," she giggled playfully before helping me up.

"You're very strong," I commented, "You're growing up really fast."

She giggled in response to her father's compliment.

After a few minutes, Say'ri and Flavia reported to us; both had forlorn looks.

"Dammit, we've lost a good amount of men from that battle," Flavia said, "Say'ri's dynasts have been reduced from 5,000 to a mere 900."

"Holy shit," I said.

"Fie, a majority of the dynasts have fled or backed out," Say'ri had a frustrated look, "It was a very hard match, yet Walhart's defeat roused his soldiers to retreat for a final stand."

"Good news is that while Walhart is a physical powerhouse, he's a pushover when it comes to magic resistance," I noted, "Though, he actually has a special resistance to anti-mount weapons; he took on my halberd blow head-on without flinching, which resulted in him shattering my axe."

"So anti-mount weapons don't work too..." Flavia said, "Basilio attempted to use a hammer on him, but that proved ineffective."

So while armored and mounted, he can still resist weapons effective against both of them.

"Chrom," I said to the blue haired prince.

"Yes?"

"We're both fighting him together," I said, "I feel like Walhart is somewhat like Hardin, Marth's close friend who later became a villain after a dark entity roused him. That Lu'xi girl might be behind his whole conquest thing, and I need you to convince him to join our side."

"Join our side?!" Chrom exclaimed, "... I'm not so sure myself... but I have to try."

Chrom swung off the blood on his blade and sheathed it. It was late afternoon and Valm Palace is far away.

"We'll set up camp here for now, then we venture to Castle Valm," Chrom said.

* * *

**Camp**

After a grueling sparring session, Nate and I wiped our brows as we both dropped our weapons.

"Your swordplay is fine, Nate," I said while panting.

"Even with the weapon triangle, you still manage to fight well with an axe against a sword wielder," Nate commented.

"Well, a trained Swordmaster can easily dodge my axe strikes despite my skill," I said.

I grabbed a flask from my waist and guzzled down some water in my throat and wiped my mouth. I passed it to Nate and happily responded with consuming the water.

"Dad," Nate addressed me.

"Yes?"

"Have you been wondering about our brands?" he asked as he showed me his right pectoral.

"Sort of, but all my theories about their appearance seem very unlikely," I said.

We both stood up and sat outside of the fortress we trained in and looked at the stars.

"Dad, how come you continued to fight after Gangrel's war?" Nate asked, looking into the skies.

"Call me crazy if you want," I said, "I had a dream that a country would invade Ylisse, so I had to find a way to train while also supplying for my family."

My son raised his brow in confusion.

"You followed a dream? What got you to decide on that? Did you tell mom about this?"

"Pre-Gangrel, I had dreams of my allies dying due to my mistakes, usually happening before or after the battle the dream placed in. I also had this really strange dream where Chrom and I fought Validar, and I ended up being possessed by a mysterious force, which roused me to kill Chrom in cold blood."

"I see..."

"I told Sumia about my dreams before our marriage, and she told me that I should have faith in my comrades and not rely too much on predictions or dreams. The dream with Valm on the other hand, I never told her. I just said I felt like exploring the world with Gregor."

"Why would you lie to your own wife?" Nate asked me.

"Huh?"

"You heard me, dad."

"It's because she might think of me as paranoid... and being called that reminds me of my past."

"Your past? Are your... memories recovering? You've said to me you never recovered your memories."

"... I think so. It's a bit hazy, but I'm recovering bit by bit," I looked at Nate with a serious look, "But I think it will hurt more than it will help."

"How so?" Nate asked.

"I don't know..."

We put away the training equipment and went to our tents. I noticed that Nah would blush from me mentioning Nate whenever she asked about my headphones.

According to Donnel, Nah never had a true childhood, as her foster parents were cruel to her despite doing their chores without them asking, so music would be a great way to sooth her soul.

"I'm tired..."

Sumia came out of the mess tent, folding up her apron and wiping her forehead. We both met our gazes and smiled at each other. My wife ran to me and hugged my arm despite it being a bit sweaty.

"Heya, honey-bunch," she said gleefully.

"Hiya Sumi-chan," I replied affectionately.

"How was training?" she asked me, "You constantly train every time I see you."

"Are you worried, darling?"

She puffed her cheeks and punched me in the face, when she was supposed to slap me.

"Of course I am!" she said, "I'm your wife; it's natural for spouses to show worry."

I chuckled as I wiped my wound and hugged my wife, surprising the latter.

"You seem tired too," I said as I stroked her hair, "We should just go to bed."

She nodded and we both walked to our tent together. The feeling of her arms wrapped around my arms is refreshing. Ever since I proposed to her, she has been doing that almost all the time.

* * *

**Dream**

My eyes opened and absorbed the area around me. I was in a rather intricate hallway with many rooms. While a close proximity around me was bright, the end of the hallway is unseen, absorbed in inky darkness. I was confused as to why I was brought here, but I immediately assumed this is a dream. There were two doors that face each other. The left one had a dark purple energy emanating from it, while the right had a green energy surging out.

"Where is this?" I asked myself.

I got to the door on the right and realized that the door had my unique brand on it; the one implanted in my iris. When I put my hand on the doorknob, I felt a person's hand grab me. I looked at who it was.

**"You're not ready for this power yet, Alec,"** the figure said.

The man was imposing and wore a hood that obscured his face.

"What are you doing in my mind?!" I exclaimed at the thing.

"The time is near, but the time to open that door is not happening yet," he said, "It's time I told you the truth."

He unveiled his hood, revealing his true face. Though unfamiliar, he looked similar to a manakete due to his ears. The most interesting thing to note from this man is the luminescent green scales on his neck.

"Who are you?"

**"My name is Zaman, the Chrono Dragon," **the creature said**.**

* * *

**Author's Note**

**The Valm Arc will soon end, but Zaman's appearance in Alec's dreams is very important.**

**Yes, that's the inside of his mind. The two doors resemble two powers he has been branded with, yet sealed away... or so he thought. The Dark Hallway... represents something else. If he were to have access to this inner conscience as time past, that hallway's shadows slowly diminish.  
**

**DOHF DQG VHQD DUH UHODQHG... **

**.- .-.. . -.-. .-. ... / .- - .-. .-.. -.. / .. ... / .-.. - -. -. / -.. . .- -..**


	35. Chrono Dragon

**Chapter 33**

**Chrono Dragon  
**

"Zaman?" I was very surprised to see this... person enter my mind. How is it possible? "Why do you visit me out of all people?"

Zaman stayed silent and simply pointed at my eye.

"My eye?"

**"You are branded too."**

"Branded?" I looked at my right hand. My other mark is still there.

**"Chrom is branded by Naga, the Divine Dragon. You are branded by Grima, and me."**

"Grima? You?" I was confused as to how I was branded by two dragons.

**"You have the blood of the Felldragon within, Alec," **Zaman said, **"If it weren't for your bloodline, you wouldn't have been fully obliterated by the vacuum of the Outrealm."**

"Vacuum?" I noted.

**"The Outrealm Gate is an entrance to a dimension linking to many worlds. To keep humans of great ambition from traversing the dimensions, we have placed guides and guardians to assist the visitor in their journey."**

"So, basically those Annas are the guardians of time and space?" I said after noticing a somewhat obligatory Anna presence in other realms.

**"Yes. I've granted Annas my blood as to prevent them from being obliterated by the vacuum of time and space. They can create a special barrier that allows the traveler or travelers to make it to their path safe. Old Hubba is a special person; the man who watches over the Einherjar."**

"Interesting," I said, "Now, what does all of this have to do with me?"

**"You are a special case, Alec," **He put his finger on my chest, **"You are a special kind of Chronoblood in two ways."**

"Special..." I wondered what he meant by that, so I listened intently to what he was about to say.

**"One, you are of Fell and Chrono blood, and two, because of the future events about to happen, you have the power to "absorb" time."**

"How do I exactly 'absorb' time?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

**"To absorb time is to gather the "time" of other people from parallel worlds, whether it be you, or those blood related."**

"So it's basically killing them, since I'm stealing their time to live," I said.

**"No, that's stealing time. When you absorb time, you absorb the past memories of your parallel selves," **Zaman replied, **"Can you tell me where you think you got those visions?"**

I realized it now. The visions of me dying were actually me dying.

**"Though, absorbing time means that you must also experience the pain and sorrow you've experienced from that memory. You had no control of it, but your power was inadvertently through your sleep, yet you slowly gained more control of your powers, far from seeing visions in your sleep" **He looked at the door, prompting me to look at it too, **"Because of this, you've gained the tactical insight of many tacticians in parallel dimensions. Not only you, but others as well."**

"Others?"

**"Yes, but later on, you relied mostly on the strength you've trained hard for rather than relying too much on this new power. "**

"Uh-huh."

**"The door is a key to being bathed in Chronofire. It is similar to the Awakening, except you need to go through a much more painful procedure to prove your worth," **Zaman said, **"But that's for later. In any case, do you know of Grima?"**

"Obviously," I replied casually.

**"With you having the blood of two dragons, Grima's genes have changed, allowing him to be Fellchrono like yourself."**

"Oh gods, that's horrifying," Grima has the powers of time too, but who caused all of this?

**"Grima is a dragon, and dragons are able to go through the Outrealm vacuum with no harm done," **Zaman said, **"Grima's hybrid blood has made him not only stronger, but allowed him to have a stronger link with other Grimas. This means that no matter how many times the Exalt has slew the dragon, another Grima -maybe more- will just re-enter."**

"Is there a way to kill him once and for all?" I asked, scared of Grima's presence even more.

**"I've used a good amount of my power to ward another Grima from coming at your time," **Zaman said, **"There's a special hybrid who has a similar power like yours: The power to destroy Time."**

Destroying time sounded like ending the universe. Am I trying to look for a person who can destroy the world just to destroy Grima?

**"Imperiled, you seem, Alec. When I mean destroy time, I mean the creature has the ability to wipe out all evidence of existence of a living being, therefore, destroying their time."**

"So, if the Time Eraser person uses their power on someone, people who are related to the victim will lose memories of that person?"

**"Yes. The person is wiped out of existence entirely. Only those with the Chrono blood can remember them. The fabric of time will remold the timelines to fit a world without that person."**

"That sounds scary..."

**"Yes, but until then..." **Zaman opened a giant door behind him and entered through it, **"It may feel good to have many yous help you, but not all of the yous are you..."**

"Are you saying that I'm connected to anyone of my blood from other dimensions?"

Zaman nodded.

**"Before I go," **A green orb formed in his hand and he placed it on my head gently. The orb disintegrated into my head, **"Grima's presence is growing stronger, so I must suppress your visions of the future temporarily."**

"Hey!" I said, "How am I going to win this war against Valm? How am I gonna win against Grima if he were to revive?"

Zaman smiled and shook his head.

**"It's been two years, Alec," **Zaman replied, **"I can sense you using your powers, due to us being connected by blood. Of all those two years, you've trained hard and fought more and more with your own strength. Your powers will be activated sometime in the future. But if you were to use these powers more, Grima will have more access to your time energy."**

"What's going to happen?" I asked, "In fact, if you revived me while I was in the Outrealm, how come you chose me out of all people?"

**"I cannot tell you what happens in the future, Alec," **he said, **"I know many possibilities, but it's your future to decide. As for my decision for you being revived; you'll see what I mean in the future."**

* * *

**Reality**

I woke up from my bed with my wife, Sumia. She woke up the same time as me and we both looked at each other awkwardly.

"Good morning, Alec," Sumia said with a smile, "Let's pack up our tent. We've got a Conqueror to bring down."

I smiled and nodded to her as we both got up and put down the tent. I saw Nate packing up his tent with the manakete daughter, Nah helping him. As Nate lifted the folded tent, Nah was petting Cugar lovingly, causing the latter to purr lowly. After everything was loaded up, we continued our march to Castle Valm. Sumia and I walked beside each other, holding hands lovingly.

"Sumia, I had another weird dream again," I said to her.

"Is it about one of us dying?" she asked with concern.

"No, I was visited by a dragon named Zaman," I said.

"Zaman? I've never heard of that dragon before," she said, "I'm not so sure if you can just trust a random creature who talked to you in your dreams..."

"He had great insight of time and space, but I think he made a grave mistake..."

"...?" Sumia's head tilted in confusion.

"... I'm not so sure, it's a long story, but I've gotta agree to be skeptical about him," I was a bit nervous, and what I said was a bit blurted out.

"What did he exactly tell you?" she asked with vehement skepticism.

"... No not yet, I feel like the truth is too much to handle," I answered, "It's not about you, it's mostly about what might happen in the future."

Grima would come back any time by now if what Zaman said was right. But, how come another Grima hasn't came to our dimension. Other Grimas would do that even before the original Grima hasn't been resurrected. Is Zaman trying his hardest to guard the Grimas from other realms from entering?

"But all I can say is that Grima will be harder to stop than expected..."

"What do you mean, Alec?!" She questioned me, "Grima is long gone. Why are you worrying about someone who's dead? Did you see him in one of your dreams?"

"..." I kept silent for a while, "No. But there was a dream..."

I told her about the dream where Chrom and I confronted Validar in some sort of temple. After we slew the Sorcerer, I was possessed by some evil spirit and impaled my comrade with a lightning spear.

"Goodness," her look showed fear and disgust, "Did you tell Chrom about it?"

"Yeah, I did," I replied, "We're not sure if Validar is to be trusted or not, but the chances of that dream becoming a reality is likely."

Sumia raised her brow.

"If that's the case, how will Validar draw us to him?"

"I'm not so sure," I said with a lack of confidence, "Zaman suppressed my visions. I can now only fight with my own power."

"Visions or not, you're still our master tactician, Alec," Sumia was now optimistic, "You've been through two years of mercenary work after the Gangrel War, so I have full faith in you, always."

Hearing this from my wife made me feel warm inside. I shared that warm feeling with her through a quick kiss on her lips. She was a dumbfounded from my action, causing me to giggle from her reaction.

"I love you so much, Sumia."

* * *

**Entrance to the Palace**

The palace is huge. It had been two days ever since, and all that walking -with frequent rests- rewarded us with making it to the castle. Strangely, the Valmese soldiers aren't present in guarding the outer area around the palace. Could this final stand be desperate?

"Shepherds, we will make our preparations here," Chrom ordered, "Alec and I will discuss strategy while-"

Suddenly, a Bow Knight in imposing armor trotted in with a posse of his own. He looked very different for a Bow Knight; his armor was more lightweight than the ordinary Bow Knight. His armor was also mostly composed of leather, and his bow was made of some sort of teal colored steel, molded into an intricate frame. Say'ri's eyes widened and quickly hovered her hand over her sheathed blade.

"Ju'Dei, are you gambling to pincer attack us? Yen'fey has fallen, and you still pledge loyalty to the Conqueror?" she glared at the Bow Knight, who exchanged it with a stoic stare, "I'll slice you down immediately if you dare move one step!"

"Say'ri, how can you kill me when I have many people at my disposal?"

A large group of various soldiers suddenly revealed themselves. Paladins and other horseback warriors joined him, foot soldiers swarmed like ants from an anthill, and pegasus knights and wyvern riders suddenly appeared from the clouds as if they were exiled from the heavens.

"The Southern Dynasts?!"

"No, it can't be," Chrom said with surprise, "What do you want?!"

I unsheathed my sword, urging the others to brandish their weapons.

"Say'ri, heed my call," Ju'Dei said calmly, "I've heard what that purple-haired snake said. I pledged my loyalty to Yen'fay, but his will was always to protect you."

"We know that, Ju'Dei," I said, "Are you with us or against us?"

The man still didn't prepare his weapon.

"As soldiers of Yen'fay, we all share his will," he said as he turned to the army, "We, Yen'fay's army, the army serving the true king carry out his will! What is our will?!"

"END THE REIGN! RESTORE THE MOTHERLAND!"

He turned to us again, now with a friendly gentle smile.

"We questioned Yen'fay's service to the Conqueror, but we still stood loyal to his command," Ju'Dei said.

"But how about the ones we killed at Demon's Ingle?" I asked, feeling a bit of shame from killing his men.

"Aye. I pray our forces didn't fight ye that time. We still stood loyal to what our master ordered, but it was all stemming from the fear of the Valmese killing his sister," he replied, "But I forgive thee. Despite a good amount of number losses, Yen'fay's death had opened our eyes and the Southern Dynasts were automatically under my control. My first command of action..."

"USURP THE THRONE!"

"Chrom, Exalt of Ylisse," he announced as he hopped off his horse and walked to him, "I, Ju'Dei Shibotaka, pledge the Southern Dynasts as allies to the Shepherds."

He extended his hand toward Chrom and he responded with a handshake.

I felt relieved from hearing this. The Southern Dynasts, one of Walhart's largest forces, is now on our side. Ju'Dei looked at me with a stern stare and nodded.

"It is high time we discuss tactics, Grandmaster." Ju'Dei said with a serious tone.

I nodded and beckoned him to the tactics tent. I never knew this was about to happen, though I did send scouts. Gaius and his daughter, Noire -who has become an assassin like her father- acted as one of the spies and gave me the scoop on what they were doing. The forces were gathered toward Valm Palace, preparing for one last stand.

Despite their smaller numbers, their army was still larger than ours, and all I intended to do was lead a group and kill them one by one, utilizing the interior's smaller corridors and rooms as assassination places. Now that Ju'Dei is on our side, my strategy shifted from a sneak attack to a full blown siege.

* * *

**Author's Note  
**

**A bit shorter than before, but just a bit of a break from writing over 3k words; most of them involving action scenes. The reason why I made this a bit shorter is because the focus wasn't on action, but mostly on Alec learning something new.  
**

****His Chronoblood doesn't give him access to visions, but something more entirely. ****

**As for the surname Shibotaka, it's based on the Kanji Taka, meaning Hawk, and Shi, meaning death. So his last name basically means Death Hawk, a reference to memorable Nomadic Trooper, Uhai.**

**8-5-14-18-25 9-19 1 20-18-1-9-20-15-18... 23-8-15 4-15-5-19 8-5 2-5-20-18-1-25?**


	36. 14-9-7-8-20-13-1-18-4

**Chapter 33.5**

**14-9-7-8-20-13-1-18-4**

* * *

**_?/!_**

_"Where am I?_

**_"Tel xob vlr?"_**

_"What am I doing here?"_

_"Zkb brx?"_

It's this place again. In my dream, I can only observe; I lacked a physical body, it seems. I don't know how I got this place, but it's called...

14-5-24-21-19

_"The Origin"_

The Origin is that place full of mutilated newborn children. They were all gruesomely hung by their own umbilical cords and had the Mark of Grima carved into them. I don't get the symbolism behind this, but I know that this place is creepy.

**"XVOZ, HF MRLQ"**

What is that voice saying?

**"BSGORU HR WOILD HRSG"**

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

**"MLRGZEOZH"**

A creature materialized from the darkness and revealed itself. It was a creature in inky darkness, whose body was mixed with both muscle and skinniness, making it hard to distinguish whether it be boy or girl. Three eyes on each arm opened up and looked at me.

**"VN LG GR VERT, VNRG UL IVDLK VSG," **the creature bellowed.

"I don't understand what you're saying," I was in deep panic, "What do you want from me?"

The inky darkness disappeared from its body, revealing a hooded women in what looked like desert wear. She wore a scarf that covered her nose and mouth with another one wrapping her head. The woman's toned and curvy figure was accentuated by her fitting sleeveless shirt and knee-length leggings, complete with a pair of ankle high shoes.

**"Do you want your memories?" **she asked.

"How can I trust you if you're placing me in The Origin?" I asked with a raised brow, "Who are you?"

**"I'm a part of you, Alec," **she said, **"I represent your desire."**

"I don't desire my memories," I said, "It's gonna hurt me more than it will help."

**"Hmmm, how are you so sure? Are your memories coming in slowly?"**

"Yes, but what's the point of the memories before I met Chrom?" I asked, "If you're my desire, you would know I don't desire my memories."

**"Do you not know that you can repress desire?" **she said, **"You've heard from Zaman about your origins. Doesn't that make you a bit curious?"**

She got closer to me and put her finger on my forehead.

**"Your life here is basically a dream, Alec," **she said, **"Think about it. You've got the girl, you've got friends, you've got respect. All of those are things that only appear in a dream."**

"Get away," I exclaimed, "You're just trying to make me all edgy and dark."

**"NO! Nonsense. I'm telling you the truth! Is this your life? This life is a purgatory; your dreams! Your true life was before you met Chrom and woke up in the field!"**

"I may be recovering them, but they're all in the past," I said, "The future is what matters!"

**"Future?!" **she began to guffaw, **"You HAVE none. YOU are in purgatory! You're about to go to HELL, you loser!"**

"How are you so sure? You're not my desire," I saw a purple glow emanate from her, "Are you Grima?"

**"HAHAHAHAHA! Are you seriously assuming I'M Grima?" **she said with a cocky accent, **"The truth hurts, you shit-head!"**

"Yes, I know, but lies hurt more in the end!"

I threw a punch at her, only for her to grab my fist. A devilish grin was on her face.

**"I'm here to help you, Alec. Escape this dream. No one in the Shepherds loves you. Sumia loves Henry over you, and Tharja's obsession of you is merely a facade; hiding her desire to use your entrails."**

"Consider spending 3 years with my wife," I said, "I've recovered the memory of being able to ward off shitty negativity like this."

I started to remember bit by bit about my life in the past.

**"I know what's best for you!"**

"Quit lying, Grima," I said, "If you knew what's best for me, how come you won't let me live my life!"

I shot my head at hers, causing her to reel back.

**"Damn you, Alec," **she said, **"You can't ever kill me. I'll always come back!"**

"Come back?"

**"Look, I'll deal with you another time. Last thing I'll say is that you're rising up to the needs of people simply using you."**

"What?! That's absurd!"

**"Think about it, Alec. Chrom and the others only like you because you made them live, and they all want to use you to keep themselves alive. The world is like that. IF they find someone talented, they will only use them. Kings put tests to see which knight is the best, and when one exceeds expectations after learning their hypocritical chivalry, then they're only rising to the needs of a selfish power. This world is ruled by the selfish, and the selfless are there to be used by the selfish. If too much people are selfish, this world will come to ruin. If there's too much selfless people, they'll realize how their life is a husk of their former selves. There's no right, Alec, only wrong. Everything in this world is wrong. Kindness is a mask for greed and selfishness. Loyalty is blind dedication. Generosity is cheapness and condescending to others in need. Honesty kills people. Laughter is a sign of mocking, no matter the situation."**

She grew wings and flew into the sky.

**"This whole world will always be wrong, Alec," **she said, **"No matter how much right you do, it will never equal the wrong. There's no point in moving on, Alec. Do they truly like you for who you are, or you use this new life to escape from who you really are?"**

The area around me disintegrated into a white void. She said some strange things before the whole "the world is wrong" philosophy. The last thing she said really struck me. Am I fit to stand with Chrom and the others?


	37. Walhart's Wrath

**Chapter 34**

**Walhart's Wrath  
**

For today's plan, Ju'Dei and the Dynasts will use his large numbers to not only support our infiltration unit, but to surround the castle to prevent Valmese from escaping, or back-up Valmese from the outside from invading. Ju'Dei joined our siege, allowing one of his more capable units to lead the surrounding defense.

_"Alec, I lend my bow and sword to you. Command me. I wish to assist you in usurping the Conqueror."_

That's what he said before we began our attack.

Ju'Dei is a powerful Bow Knight. Say'ri says that he had been raised to fight with a bow and a horse ever since his youth. He could shoot well on foot, but he preferred fighting on horseback. His bow is incredibly powerful and one of the only bows I have seen being able to pierce through armor like butter. I'm not sure whether it's his strength or the bow, but he still killed those generals in around one or two shots. Thanks to his assistance, we managed to reach the hallway by the throne room in short time.

"Okay, Ju'Dei, you'll join up with the Shepherds in fighting Walhart's last resistance," I said as I looked at a map I received from Gaius and Panne, "According to these maps, the main hall will be filled with many soldiers and Walhart's most trusted officials. The eastern hallway and western hallway have treasure rooms right beside the throne room, but a door is to the south..."

The Shepherds gathered around me as I told them my plan. With the plan set, we got into position and began our final siege on Valm.

"Alec," Sumia hopped on her horse and reached out her hand to me; a gentle, yet confident smile was on her face, "We'll do this together. Husband and Wife."

With a smile, I reached out to her and grabbed her hand with mine. She helped me up and put me behind her. I carried a Levin Sword with me in case Walhart were to face me. I could feel its magical electricity surge through me.

"On my mark, men," Chrom said as he raised a silver sword.

Everyone got their weapons ready and nodded. Chrom swung his sword down, signalling the beginning of the siege.

"Go!"

The 1st wave of defenders were simply generals and great knights behind them. Sumia commanded her steed to fly over them as they were distracted by the Chrom's own legion. While Chrom's forces managed to go through the generals in due time, Sumia and I used a chain electricity-like spell on the great knights with our Arcthunder tomes.

Heroes came into the scene and attacked. I got off the pegasus and clashed with one of the axe-wielding heroes. I was using a killing edge against his silver axe. He was about to do a quick overhead swing at me. I managed to telegraph his move and took a step to the side before doing a spinning swing at the hook of the axe. He attempted to pick up his axe again, but the blade being lodged in the ground as well as my blade holding down his axe made him basically unarmed. I scraped my sword at his exposed legs and sliced at his knee. I threw another slice diagonally through his chest, ending him immediately.

A hero with a sword launched from the shadows to attack me. Sumia managed to come to my aid in time and parried the soldier with her lance. She shot her lance into his abdomen and flung it at a soldier behind her. Chrom and his force joined up with us and helped ward off the upcoming forces from the north. I saw Excellus, the "beautiful" tactician in the midst of war.

_**Doesn't he look delicioius?**_

_Delicious?_

**_Can you sense his fear? What he deserves for being a snake hiding behind a cave?_**

_As much as I hate you, strange voice, I definitely know that snake needs a death deserving from Yen'fay's built up anguish._

"Sumia, stay around Chrom's forces," I said, "I've got a deal with a certain urchin."

"Be safe, Alec," she said with concern.

I felt that purple energy surge through me again. I grabbed a Rexcalibur tome and opened it. The pages fluttered softly as the wind beneath my feet lifted me up. I shot myself toward Excellus and threw a clothesline at him. He didn't react in time for my charge, costing him dearly. I grasped his neck and looked around to see I was surrounded by generals. With a mighty roar, the purple flame burned vibrantly as I activated a powerful Rexcalibur around me. In the midst of the tornado, I saw a powerful beam of lava pierce through the tornado.

"...?"

My storm calmed, leaving a wake of dead soldiers around me, aside from Excellus. I tossed the latter into a wall and pinned his limbs using hidden knives I keep with me in case unneeded chaos started in public. The beam of lava came from what looked like a Valkyrie. She wasn't on a horse, but she was floating using telekinesis and levitated many tomes around her.

"Ahh, Pheros, you decided to wake up?" Excellus said.

"..."

Pheros's skin was... incredibly pale. She had the aura of a Risen, and her face matched a corpse's. Did Excellus turn her into a Risen?

"Magnum."

She took aim, aiming her palm at me. I quickly grabbed Excellus and tossed him into the lava beam's path. Excellus screeched horribly from the massive damage done to his body.

"...Grrr.. why y-you..." he said, "Save... me."

"...You...Yous...Useless," she opened a dark magic tome that killed Excellus with a large red spike from the ground.

My eyes widened from the sudden brutality of Risen Pheros. Not only was she disturbing, but her magic is incredibly fearsome. She looked at me with those haunting eyes and aimed her palm at me.

"... Fell... Chrono..."

She shot another lava beam, but I reacted in time and dodged it. She opened another tome; a brown tome. She gathered what looked like dust and covered herself in it, transforming into a giant dust demon.

"Alec," Sumia flew by my side and saw the enemy, "What in Naga's name is that?"

The dust beast roared loudly and attempted to charge at me. A piercing tornado tore through the demon, causing the dust to be forcefully swept by the heavy winds. Ricken was the one who cast that spell.

"Dust is just dust," Ricken said with a smile.

The dust monster disintegrated and Pheros used a lime green tome... and a blue tome. A green aura surrounded her and formed a pair of green wisp-like wings. The blue tome formed two swords made of what looked like solidified air, otherwise known as ice. She charged toward Ricken and threw a powerful slice at his abdomen. She got to Ricken in little more than a second, and Pheros was incredibly far from Ricken.

"Ricken!" I shouted in worry.

The kid covered his wound and stood strong. While a strong magician, Ricken is still a sturdy fellow. He was able to take a powerful barbarian's axe strike before killing him with an Elwind through the barbarian's head. Miriel came to his aid and used her heal staff on him.

"Mind me not, comrades," Miriel said, "Defeat the anomaly!"

Pheros was already beside me, about to cut my head. The sight of her suddenly being beside me shocked me, causing me to flinch in surprise. Sumia managed to block the two swords with her lance. I took the stall as a sign to attack and shot a Thoron beam to attack her blue tome.

_The power of magic is expanded through tomes. To be able to manipulate the elements, you need a medium: the tome._

If this is true, then the ice blades could break if she has no medium.

_The weakness to a magician is their to-_

"I've had enough of this non-sense!"

The Risen was suddenly hit by a gigantic black axe. Horse clopping was heard in the hallway as Walhart strolled to the dead Risen. The tomes were crushed underfoot by Walhart's steed.

"Pheros died honorably at Fort Steiger," Walhart said, "And there's no need for her to be alive again."

Walhart's cold eyes stared at Sumia and I.

"Tactician, join me," he said with a serious yet calm tone, "Why do you follow a man who follows others? Excellus was nothing more than a traitor to the Valmese conquest, using me as some sort of plan."

"I don't."

"Why exactly?" he asked as he cleaned his axe.

"The world I want to live in is in a world where peace is achieved through mutuality," I said.

Walhart's response was a head shake.

"Before I face you," he unmounted and walked over to me. When he got close, he towered over me; standing at around 7 feet tall, "Would you befriend a thief? A thief that is of recent acquaintance?"

"S-sort-"

"I DIDN'T COME HERE TO HEAR YOU STAMMER!" he commanded, "WOULD YOU BEFRIEND A THIEF!"

"Yes!"

He raised his brow in confusion.

"Thieves live to only steal, deceive," he said, "Would you still be friends if he stole the most important thing between you and he?"

"..."

"Were you thinking of yes?" he asked, "Other nations are nothing other than thieves, Tactician. They deceive us with 'friendship', when in reality, they plan to steal, and then leave us for dead. Friendship is the greatest lie, Alec."

"Then how did you get millions of men to join your cause?" I asked.

"Simple: Fear, respect, power," he said with an evil grin, "Fear limits human beings. Power garners respect. They need someone to fear to limit their thoughts of sinning, Tactician. Peace is achieved through not wanting to fight under my rule. Peace means no battles, and conquering nations under my fist will ensure that no more nations fight each other."

He walked toward his horse with his axe on his shoulder.

"Unity under one law will stop all wars," he said, "If you talk down on me harming the other nations, it's nothing more than just sacrifice."

"But the sacrifice they've done is wrong!" Chrom said as he walked beside me, "Lives are being taken to die for a cause that will lead to despair."

"Foolish Prince!" he guffawed, "Despair itself is living in constant worry of other nations and people attacking you. Under my rule, no one will bother to kill each other under the watch of my grand army. I'm trying to save this world, Chrom! This is my dream!"

He got on his horse and pointed his axe at us.

"My dream is a unified world. Under my rule, there will truly be no wars. Fear will bind us together, keep us from fighting each other."

"Wrong!" Chrom shouted, "This unified world is nothing more than the despair you mentioned. Peace can only be unified through stoking hearts, not their fear!"

"Silence, Prince," he said, "I've no time to hear your dream. It's little more than what your sister believes. Tell me, what do YOU believe?"

"I believe that you should join us and be free of this delusion of conquest!" Chrom announced, "Why do you ally yourself with a man who used dark magic to raise the dead? If we both believe we are masters of our lives and fates, then join us!"

"Excellus is dead, and his tool was nothing more than garbage," he said cockily, "Why does he matter? He did his job, and now that he decides to betray me, he's nothing more than trash. As for joining you? Hah! You speak to a horse, and you are nothing but a flea. Would a horse join the flea on his back?"

"Wal...hart!" Pheros aimed her palm at the Conqueror as she slowly levitated, "Magnum."

Walhart saw Pheros launch a thin beam of lava at him. Walhart closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them quickly. He put his black shield in front of him and surprisingly deflected the beam of lava. It was as if he used some sort of metaphysical -not magic- energy to deflect it. He still flinched slightly from the blow, but he still stood strong.

"Kneel!" Walhart spun his axe and hurled it at the zombie Pheros. She attempted to form a barrier, but she realized that certain tome was destroyed.

"Da..mn... you!" she was bifurcated from the spinning axe. The axe flew back to Walhart as if it were a boomerang.

"Hmmph."

Walhart swung off the blood on his axe and glared at us with those empty eyes. He pointed his axe at Chrom and put up a cocky smirk.

"Now, steel and strength will decide who is worthy," he announced, "If we're all masters of our own fates, I say my fate is to destroy you ALL! WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT, PRINCE!"

"I'm a master of my own fate as well, but you're nothing more than a villainous murderer, a tyrant," Chrom's mark glowed along with his Falchion, "It's time to meet your justice."

I got my Levin Sword and Fimbulvetr tome ready.

"I've got your back, Chrom."

"And so do I," Ju'dei entered the scene with his special bow ready for combat.

Walhart charged at Ju'dei first. I used Fimbulvetr to freeze his horse's hooves, keeping him delayed. Ju'dei hopped backward and fired a burst of arrows at Walhart. The armor barely dented, even though Ju'dei's arrows could pierce armor easily. Ju'dei was horrified from Walhart's durability.

"Hmph, mere raindrops."

Chrom dashed toward Walhart and threw a swing at the Conqueror. Walhart immediately clashed quickly with the prince and pushed him away with his weapon. I concentrated the icy power of Fimbulvetr and shot a beam of icy wind at Walhart. He immediately reacted by using his shield to deflect the beam.

"Damned Aegis..." I said to myself.

As he was deflected the beam of ice, Chrom found an opening and threw a powerful swing at Walhart. While a cutting noise was heard, his armor received minimum damage, but the force of the swing made Walhart flinch a bit. Walhart responded with a turning axe swing, damaging Chrom heavily. He reeled back from the attack, but still managed to land on his feet.

Ju'dei unsheathed two silver swords and charged at the Conqueror. Walhart accepted the invitation gladly and charged at the Dynast. Walhart threw an overhead swing, but Ju'dei clamped the axe with his two swords. I ran toward Walhart's back with my Levin Sword in my hand. If Ju'dei reels back, then I have to shoot lightning. If Ju'dei is still clamping his axe, I'll stab Walhart in the back. I'm at his right side, so his shield arm won't react to one of my two options in time.

"Craven!" Walhart reeled his axe back and chopped through the silver blades like a scissor cutting through paper.

I quickly fired a chain of electricity at Walhart, but only for a while. He threw his axe at my chest before I could give him the full discharge.

Ju'dei immediately realized he couldn't dent Walhart, so he fled from the scene.

The weight of the axe and the strength of his throw combined was extremely powerful. I was pinned down to the ground, and I had a hard time both breathing and trying to get up. The axe was too heavy to lift by a mere human. The only thing I could use was my telekinesis. I just need to pull it out before I fully bleed out.

Chrom fought against the conqueror with all his might, but signs of exhaustion were slowly showing. Walhart utilized his great skill and durability alongside a slightly above-average speed to dominate Chrom. He held back a lot during our fight at Wall Valm.

I heard a large stomp beside me, with heavy breathing following. I felt the axe suddenly get pulled out from my body. I screeched in pain from the immediate removal and quickly covered my wound.

"It's time you stopped taking the front lines too much, Dad," Nate said as he crouched beside me.

I saw Walhart throwing a powerful shield bash at Chrom's Falchion, bouncing it away from the prince. A large beam of electricity from an unknown assailant shredded the shield.

Cugar landed in front of me, followed by Morgan, equipping her Shockstick. I looked to my left and realized it was Cynthia who tore through his shield.

"So, younger children decide to play?" Walhart said with a cocky smirk.

He stomped the ground, causing his nearby axe to launch up high. He grabbed it with one hand and pointed it at Cynthia.

"Do you really think you can beat a man who has weathered many battles?!"

"Yes, because we've weathered many battles ourselves!" Morgan replied.

My three future children gathered together and prepared their weapons. Sumia landed beside me, holding a mend staff in her hands.

"Should we help them?" Sumia said as she shone her staff on my wound.

I chuckled to myself.

"They're all grown up, and have both of our strengths combined, Sumia," I said as I "saw" their stats, "My strengths and yours will cancel out the weaknesses we have, making our children clearly stronger than us."

Sumia helped me up and put me on her horse. We both watched our children get ready to fight the Conqueror himself.

"Are you sure?" Sumia asked, "How about if they're in danger?"

"We'll help them when they need it."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**So, his future children will take care of this in the next chapter. Why? Because it can't always be Alec all the time; his children need some spotlight. I realized that Nate was being more of a background character, and I forgot that he was supposed to have a bigger role in the story... only later. **

**My exams are done, so basically, I'll have more time to finish these chapters.  
**

**Also, I'm developing a new EB fanfiction with a completely original cast, but a similar plot to Earthbound itself. I've got the 1st chapter done, but I'll start actually working on it after this is all done. And this will be done in 10 more chapters.**


	38. End of Conquest

**Chapter 35**

**End of Conquest  
**

**Nate's View**

I can't let my father just go in recklessly all the time. I know he's been like this almost all the time, but now it's our turn. Walhart's shield is gone, but I have a feeling we need to exploit something else.

"Cugar, charge!"

My wyvern rose up and glided downward. Walhart quickly clashed with my blade as I went past him. Cynthia attempted to fire a Thoron beam at Walhart, only to swat it off with his left arm. I saw Cynthia's surprised face, but she returned to her strong, battle-ready, game face as she grabbed another Thoron. Walhart charged at Cynthia, but I guarded my sister with my blade. I couldn't hold out his strength for too long, so Cynthia took the advantage to get a clear hit on him. Walhart managed to dodge it in time, much to my horror.

"Out of my way!" the horse attempted to headbutt Cugar, but my wyvern bit back.

"Gyah!" I was tossed away from Cugar from Walhart's axe.

Cugar quickly did a rising headbutt to knock away his foe, flipping backward and landing beside Cynthia.

"Hyah!" Morgan shot out of the shadows and did a front flip while stabbing downward.

Walhart turned to her and used some sort of special shielding technique to guard her attack. Morgan spun backward and spun her lance a few times before charging. Her lance shone a yellow shine; a familiar yellow shine.

"Cynthia, go to Morgan," I said, "Use the Wind Booster."

She nodded and quickly shot herself to Morgan.

Me, on the other hand, fought against Walhart with my sword. I used mostly speed and agility to keep him grounded and stationary, swirling around him while peppering him with slashes. Whenever I hit his armor, it would barely dent, otherwise, it would just be parried. Walhart immediately saw Morgan charging at him with extreme speed. He attempted to use that shield technique again, but Morgan's Luna Strike pierced through it, as well as tear apart some of his armor. My wyvern screeched as he dove down toward Walhart. I attempted to slash his exposed arm, but he used that shield technique again to dent my blade. While Walhart smiled cockily -a small closed-mouth smile-, he was suddenly struck by shocking blast from Cynthia. I could see a pattern.

"Fimbulvetr!" someone shouted.

A huge burst of icy wind buffeted the Conqueror, freezing him solid. I looked at my left and saw my dad and my mom holding the tome together with both hands interlocked.

"Dad, I got a plan," I said to him.

He smiled and nodded.

"He has Pavise and Aegis, it seems," he said, "Not only that, but he has a powerful energy that allows him to be more in touch with the shielding skills."

"H-how did you know?"

He put his finger on his head and tapped.

"Master Tactician," he said, "But, go on with your plan."

"Well, Morgan, Cynthia, and I will switch from physical weapons to magic weapons. Cynthia has her tome and sword, Morgan has her Shockstick and bow, while I have my Killing Edge and my Bolt Axe."

"You're gonna exploit his Pavise and Aegis, eh?" father said, "Good thing I froze him solid. He can't hear a thing underneath solid ice, but knowing his fiery will, he'll thaw out soon without hearing your plan."

"I'm gonna-"

"Hold on, son," he interrupted, "Don't kill Walhart... he's basically Hardin..."

I nodded in response and turned to Walhart. He roared with anger and broke out of the ice.

"Feeble spell!" he shouted before getting struck by lightning from Cynthia. He used Aegis to guard it.

"Heh-" I swung at him with my Levin Sword before he could finish laughing. Aegis can only block spells, arrows, and projectiles. But, I swung with my Levin Sword, using its magical properties to create an electric barrier.

"Grrgh!"

I saw father shoot a large shard of ice at Walhart, who dodged it quickly. I grabbed my axe and charged at him. I used my right arm to clash with his axe strike. As I already knew his dexterity was his right, he easily swung off my axe. My whole body swayed to the right; my left arm got closer to my sheathed sword on my right hip. I quickly grabbed it and swung at his exposed join on his right arm.

Throughout all my battles, I noticed that armored knights have some exploitable weaknesses aside from their low speed. They needed a small space to allow their joints to move as to allow mobility. Ever since I kept on getting beat up by knights by those corrupt business officials, I started to find ways to easily debilitate them. Even if he uses Pavise, it'll give time for my family to attack.

I slashed his joint, but Pavise activated as predicted. Before my family attacked, Walhart threw a massive punch at my face; strong enough to send me reeling through the hall. My armor scraped my fall, but I could barely feel my jaw from that attack. I realized I was blown toward the tomes that the Risen used, but were crushed by Walhart. My head really hurt from that punch.

I tried to reach for one of the unscathed ones, but a foot stomped on the tome.

"Who are you?" I asked the mysterious creature.

* * *

**Alec's View**

That fist really hurt my son. My daughters are going at Walhart relentlessly, but the latter continued to sustain the injuries from their assaults.

"This is bad," Sumia said as she came back to me with various wounds from Walhart, "Walhart's able to clash with my swift strikes."

It's high time we joined in. Chrom got up with Lissa by his side.

"Morgan, Cynthia, it's time you'd retreat now," I said as I saw Walhart managing to weave through their attacks."

My eyes shone for a bit as I saw one of Walhart's secret skills.

"Get out now!"

* * *

**Cynthia's View**

Walhart's axe is sluggish, as expected for villains mostly dead set on power. If dad could handle Walhart during Wall Valm, then maybe an experienced sword user like me can do it all fine. I just have to keep fighting, because I don't want that future to happen.

_Mommy, daddy?_

I have to do this for mom and dad.

_Sorry, Cynthia but..._

Morgan managed to pierce through his Pavise shield.

_My... story... dad_

"Now!"

I fluttered my cloak and grabbed my tome with my left hand. After my dad taught me how to use telekinesis, I was the one who taught my dad how to properly use a Thoron... with style. I spun around my Levin Sword and twirled around until my palm faced him.

"Cynthia Thoron!"

The beam pierced through him cleanly. I celebrated with a fist bump and screamed in victory.

"I did it, dad!" I shouted to my father.

"Get out, now!"

"Huh?"

I heard a giant axe whirling to my direction. I looked at the axe and all of a sudden, I found myself falling.

"Cynthia!"

_"They were great heroes"_

_"A hero has to protect everyone."_

_"I'm so sorry, Lucina, my whole battalion died... I-I was foolish..."_

"I-I'm far from being one... anyway."

* * *

**Alec's View**

"Sis!" Morgan called out to the legless Cynthia.

She charged in front of Walhart and used her lance to guard her sister. Walhart immediately flung Morgan behind her and proceeded to raise his axe.

"Cynthi-" Lissa attempted to approach Cynthia, but was blocked by Walhart's gigantic axe.

Walhart zoomed in toward Lissa and used the sword from the fort fight to attack her. Chrom managed to defend his sister in time and repelled him.

"You dare mutilate my daughter?!" I shout as I grabbed my Levin Sword.

Walhart really has fought faster fighters before. He has had experience against Yen'fay, a swift swordsman. Well, the only thing I can do is assimilate that technique Gangrel used.

_"Alec, good morrow," Miriel greeted me one morning, "Come to my tent, I've got an experiment."_

_"Experiment?"_

_Miriel was my mentor on magic and a few magic techniques. While she prefers the orthodox fling magic due to her frail defenses, she found my close magical combat interesting, doing research on how to use magic to enhance close-combat power._

_We headed to her tent, which the Shepherds agree is the most organized; her shelves are filled with delicate notebooks with tidy and small writing. She showed me her desk, which had her sketch of a human body, and a picture of a Levin Sword.  
_

_"Ever since that fight with Gangrel, I've noticed he used a special technique to enhance his speed with a Levin Sword," she noted, "Laurent, Ricken, and I delved deep into the cause of this peculiar technique."_

_"Have you figured out how it worked?" I asked._

_"Indeed."_

_She began to explain to me how Gangrel managed to use the technique. While it took a long time for me to comprehend -due to the fact the explanation was long and incredibly specific-, I managed to get it after a painful 4 repeats; half of the day wasted. I realized that Gangrel used lightning conducted from the Levin Sword to electrify his muscles with a nearly painful electric shock. According to Miriel, every human has an electrical circuit inside of them used to move certain limbs or something like that. I'm not so sure about the whole concept, but I knew that the more electricity in your body, the faster the body will react. But, put too much, and internal frying from the massive electricity will occur.  
_

_When it was time to actually do it, I nearly killed myself many times; Miriel and the other magicians used a special metallic rod to conduct the excess electricity into it. It took me half a month to actually get the right amount of electricity inside of me. It took me two months to get used to the enhanced reflexes; using it left me greatly exhausted. I could only use it for around a few seconds on my first try, but through better control of the electricity, I can be in this state for almost 5 minutes.  
_

I charged my body with electricity and felt the power surge through me violently.

"Alec?!"

My body felt ultra light, and I looked at Walhart and charged at him. True to his extreme reflexes, he managed to perceive my approach, but soon found his Pavise a bit late in its activation.

"...fast," he commented.

I kept on darting around the Conqueror, peppering him with many Levin Sword hits. If I could manage to clash with Gangrel while he was in this state, being in this state might make my already strong combat prowess exceed higher than I expected. He was also incredibly tough despite my sword's magic properties. I attempted to attack his horse's leg with my blade, but he managed to use Pavise in time.

_His horse can also be protected by Pavise..._

I kept darting around him and peppering him with slashes and electricity, with some of his attacks managing to clash mine.

* * *

**Cynthia's View**

"I-I'm alive...?"

I looked at my body and realized that my upper body was fine. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't feel my legs for some reason. I yelped in surprise. My legs... are gone.

I started to cry from how useless I was now. When I was training to become a soldier after mom and dad died, I was usually the victim of bullying due to my clumsy actions. They kept comparing me to my mother and father, similar to how Severa was compared to Cordelia. Mom and dad were great heroes in the past, and I wanted to be a hero just like my parents. Despite my mom's success, some kids knew of mom's tendency to trip over nothing. I was similar, and they bullied me by tripping me during combat tests, practices, and even written exams.

_No matter how much you try, you'll always fall._

_Someone who trips a lot doesn't deserve to move on_

Their laughter echoed through my brain. I was always overconfident and stubborn, which is how Laurent always gets mad at me. He's right, we don't need heroes, we don't need-

"Cynthia-dear?" I saw mom crouch down beside me.

"M-mom?"

She held my hand and smiled at me with a warm smile.

"Why are you crying?"

"Why are *sniff* smiling?"

She looked at my legs with a concerned frown, but smiled back to me.

"I'm so glad you've grown up so strong, Cynthia," she said, "But your strength alone won't stop Walhart."

I saw my Thoron tome by my legs... or what remained. She grabbed it and put it on my right hand, grasping both my hand and the tome tightly.

"Your father is trying his best to keep Walhart at bay; maybe killing him if he can handle all that electricity," mom said, "But, you have both of our magical power combined, Cynthia..."

"But... they said-"

Sumia punched me, though, my dad had told me that she sometimes tries to slap them as opposed to punching.

"It's all in the past, Cynthia! They're not here anymore. If you survived as opposed to them, that means you're strong!"

"How was I strong?" I cried.

"You were a powerful defender, Cynthia," Lucina stood by her with her sword, "You've saved me many times. You shouldn't be clouded in your bad memories, Cynthia."

"... Lucy?"

She lifted me up and helped me raise my arm up, aiming directly at Walhart.

* * *

**Alec's View**

Walhart was seemingly tireless, but I still managed to dent his armor a bit. I was nearing the end of my duration; about a minute left. I saw Cynthia with Lucina and my wife, helping her up while she charged a Thoron beam. A plan was in the works.

I zipped toward Chrom, who was with his sister, Lissa, and told him of a surefire way to end him.

"Alec, why have you stopped your assault?" Chrom asked.

"We'll finish him together, Chrom," I said, "And here's how..."

I whispered him our attack on this titan. Lissa got involved too, as she was a huge part of the plan.

"Huh? Then how are you gonna-"

"It will be alright," I reassured him.

The blue-blood nodded and got his sword ready.

Cynthia let out a battle cry as she shot a devastating Thoron from her palm. Though Walhart witnessed it, he used Aegis to half the damage of her spell. While he didn't get damaged as much, that was the opening I needed.

I crouched down and zoomed toward Walhart, slashing through his horse's legs. The Conqueror suddenly fell down to the ground, so I followed up with a launching slash with my sword.

"Chrom!"

Chrom started glowing red and blue as his mark shone a radiant white light. He shot to the air with a Falchion and a silver sword. I formed another blade of electricity from the excess electricity from inside me. We both continued to strike with slashes from our weapons. Walhart didn't have enough time to time his Pavise from two consecutive attacks, nor being airborne. Chrom floated around thanks to the help of Lissa's telekinesis.

"Fimbulvetr!"

"Your end has come!"

Chrom threw a spiking slash with Falchion, while I formed a large lance of ice with Fimbulvetr. Walhart rocketed to the ground and cratered a small area as he landed. I felt the last of the stimulating electricity fade as I fell limp. I should have thought of how I could save myself. I couldn't feel my limbs, but I could feel myself speeding toward the ground. I felt incredibly tired, as if I was about to go to sleep from exhaustion.

"Alec!"

Cherche managed to catch me in the air. Minerva proved to be a strong wyvern, managing to withstand my weight, especially from that fall.

"Th-thanks, Cherche," I said softly.

* * *

**Chrom's View**

I swore that I thought that Sumia would catch him. Though the attack was somewhat reckless -especially being powered by electricity-, he still didn't think of his recovery through. Sure, I was saved through Lissa's rescue staff, but why didn't he save himself?

"r... Rrrghh..." Walhart was panting heavily.

I walked toward his lying body. His axe was right beside him, but I managed to kick it away from his hand.

"Your conquest is over, Walhart," I said softly, "End your reign now and join us to face a bigger threat."

Walhart attempted to stand up, but his torso slumped down, yet his knee refused to touch the ground. Is Walhart this stubborn?

"...My conquest is my life, prince," he said to me, "As long as I still draw breath, Valm's conquest shares my... *cough* breath."

I crouched down and looked at Walhart's empty eyes. They were sad-looking, but still had the flame of human willpower still burning.

"I may not forgive you for your actions, Walhart, but Alec and I have faced a power hungry ruler before," I said to him, "While the damage of people's lives can't be undone, you can still repair your original dreams, and repair the Valm you once loved."

Walhart smiled, surprising even me.

"The Valm... *cough* I've always wanted..." he raised his arm and put it on my shoulder, "Was a peaceful... Valm... I've strayed from my true path toward a peaceful Valm, absorbed in my own power..."

I looked at his crouching legs, which soon turned to kneeling.

"... But, as I fought both of you, I realized that what I sacrificed my own human concern, which I thought would lead to my downfall. Before my breath runs out, allow me to tell you my story," he slowly stood up on his feet again, but he fell down; all four limbs planted on the ground.

"... You see, I was never a pure Valmese before... I was actually a homeless Ylissean in my childhood; way before you were born, prince," he said, "I was a... barbarian at youth, but, my gang left me for dead in a Feroxi Harbor after I killed one of my own brethren from killing a young child. The young child managed to run away, but could only watch me nearly die from my own brethren. It turned out I saved a Valmese Emperor next in line for the throne: Almagest the IV. Despite my background... he still took invited me back to Valm to get healed by his priests..."

Walhart coughed and nearly fell down, but I came to his aid and helped him up.

"... He acknowledged my strength and willpower, and we both trained with each other. While he preferred royal swordplay, I always was comfortable with the axe: the weapon I grew up around. Yes, through sparring, we quarrelled, yet it made us grew closer. When I was only 15, I was already part of the Valmese army. We fought to defend Valm, her citizens, her pride, and most of all, my friend. As a soldier... *cough* I always fought for the Valm that saved and loved me, until one day, Almagest died from an assassin. The... assassin came from Plegia, under their royal banner..."

"Gangrel?!" I exclaimed.

"Gangrel, wasn't even king by then..." he said, "The assailant was cloaked, so it got away without me having a hint on their true identity. Valm needed the bloodline of Alm to continue their royal reign, but he imparted to me his final will. He allowed me to rule Valm; inherit the dream of Valm. We were both great leaders during our time fighting for Valm, and I was his most trusted man... But, at this moment, I've already ascended human explanation. I'm no god, nor am I human. I became a monster after running out of tears, making me realize that human emotions and human bonds will only deteriorate you. Because of that, I had to make Valm grow stronger; be strong enough to dent the blades of assassins... Seeing your young face, and the will of your soldiers... reminded me of Almagest..."

Walhart fell on his back, nearly dead.

"If I die, Valm dies with me," he said softly, "... I'm so sorry, Almagest... the Valm you loved... ends here."

With his dying breath, the Conqueror's life slipped away. He had a smile on his face as he died. I closed his eyes for him and stood up.

"Walhart was truly consumed by power," I said to myself, "What a leader truly fears is getting absorbed into this power, becoming a violent onslaught. I've yet to blame Plegia for this whole event yet, but Walhart was similar to Gangrel, yet, he still stuck on his dream for a peaceful Valm, yet his methods were corrupted by power and fear."

Say'ri walked up to me, holding a green orb.

"So, the Conqueror Walhart was a man with no more tears left to cry?" Say'ri said, "Regardless, I've found this placed behind his throne after the fight ended, Sir Chrom."

It was Vert, another gemstone for the Fire Emblem.

"Say'ri, will Valm truly fall?" I asked her, "Valm was once a land ruled by a rightful king, but their bloodline has ended a long time ago, replaced by a man who strived for his dream."

"I'm not so sure, Sir Chrom," she said with a troubled look, "Why do you say this?"

"Valm was never evil," I replied, "Walhart was corrupted by his own power, which modified his best friend's dream for Valm."

"Aye, that is true, yet, if Walhart could rule Valm, I'm hopeful a new and good-hearted leader will rise up to the throne."

"... Honestly, if Valm was under a new ruler, I pray we become allied," I said as I looked at the fallen conqueror.

"Aye, I pray it too, Prince Chrom," Say'ri stood beside me with a smile on her face, "As the next in line for Chon'sin's royalty, I'll assume leadership. I will try my hardest to rouse my citizens to help Valm's repairs."

"Consider me your ally too, Say'ri," I said with a smile, "We fought together to end this conquest, and I'll help as much as I can as soon as all the fighting is over."

"The Felldragon can rise up any moment," Say'ri said, "I pray that I accompany you, but my brother's kingdom is now weighted on my shoulders. For now, I wish thee good luck."

With that, we recovered from one of the toughest battles we've faced. While everyone was healed of their grievous wounds, I noticed a missing person. A clue to his missing nature was a certain steed.

"Cugar, where's Nate?"

It growled softly and shook his head.

"... I can't understand wyvern," I said to myself as I sighed.

Cherche flew into the scene and conversed with the wyvern through gestures. She turned to me and told me what he meant.

"Cugar says his master was taken by a creature with a terrifying aura," she said to me, "Cugar can still smell his master's smell, and where he's at is..."

* * *

**Somewhere else**

"Saki, give me the sitch," a male voice called out.

"Risen Pheros proved to be powerful magician," Saki replied to the voice, "The tomes we've given her have proven to be powerful, yet, the vessel was no match for Walhart. The latter is now K.I.A."

"So, Valm has fallen, huh?" a female voice replied.

The darkness subsided, revealing a massive labyrinth of magical technology and experiments. In the main hall, a large pile of human carcasses were placed under a pipe dispensing dead people. There were many bizarre rooms filled with magical circles and bizarre, alien-like technology; a hybrid of artificial metal and bio organic skin. Saki was examining a glass cube, testing a corpse's performance from recent resurrection. Apep was chewing on a lollipop while resting on the ground. Sena telekinetically floated in the air, reading a tome out of boredom.

"You know, why don't we just let Grima summon the Risen?" Apep asked as he lay down on the floor.

"Quiet, you," Sena spat as she lightly punted the child, "Master Grima obviously gave us orders to create an incredibly powerful Risen."

Lu'xi teleported in as she took off her training armor and training sword.

"Welcome back, Lu'xi," Sena said, "How was Valm before it fell?"

She let out a yawn and telekinetically floated in the air.

"Well, I got together with a few surviving soldiers before I left them," she replied, "Though, I wonder why you didn't want me to help Walhart; he's a hunk."

The seductress licked her lips hungrily from speaking Walhart's name.

"We're NOT allied with Valm," I said, "Excellus helped us well, but, he died with honor."

"Honor, more like shame," Saki snapped her fingers and presented her group a screen with a view of Risen Pheros's point of view. She formed a large spike that impaled and instantly killed the eunuch.

"Hmph, I don't care anymore," Sena said nonchalantly.

Sena's shoulder started to bulge, revealing an ugly Excellus wringing out of her skin. She grabbed it and pulled out his whole body from hers.

"Ew, I know I have Grima blood and can absorb life force, but, I don't want your memories and skills," the blonde haired girl choked Excellus and he soon disintegrated into nothingness as he screamed in pain.

"Hmph, using that power is clearly deteriorating, Sena," Lu'xi commented.

"Whatever," she shrugged, "As long as I have this power, our lord, Grima remains eternal."

Apep stood up and walked toward Saki, who was reading a book.

"Hey, Saki, what did Sena do again?" she asked the immortal woman.

"Sena..."

The latter did a few stretches before growing out wings from her back.

"... is a special woman, Apep."

"Hey, Saki, can you open up the large vent on the ceiling?"

"Very well."

The ceiling opened up; sunlight slowly shining upon all the area. Sena crouched and shot herself into the air, then glided through the Plegian desert. The ceiling door closed again once she departed.

"Sena, is of Fellblood; she can absorb souls, summon them, and gain the limbs, strength, and power of Master himself. Sena also has a special blood within her. A Temporal Curse from her early years. She is also a Chronoblood, born with the ability to Kill the Time of anyone she deems unfit. If she finds anyone unworthy, they will be erased from existence, and no traces of their existence will be left behind."

"I see..."

"Sena knows of many dangerous heroes that could kill Grima. Yet, she could only retain those memories..."

"How come I still remember Excellus?"

"We are of the blood of the Fellchrono; Sena, the progenitor of the Fellchrono. She granted us knowledge of time that no one else knows. When she erases someone's existence away from us, we won't remember them, but if it's at a close proximity, we retain our memories as we witnessed it."

"Guessing we can't do anything big like her, huh?"

"Correct, Apep. We were chosen to have inferior powers, as we are impure Fellchronos... yet, we still retain power granted from our Master."

Saki, the Eternal Academic. Granted by Grima accelerated brain function. She didn't accept the immortality with the blood as she already discovered how to make herself immortal. She desires greater wisdom; eternal research.

Apep, the Forever Young. A spoiled prince from a fallen kingdom. Grima granted him eternal youth, and with that blood, turned him into a Manakete. He became an Dark Ice Dragon. Apep desires eternal youth.

Lu'Xi snapped her fingers and suddenly shifted into a strong muscular man. He covered his pelvic area and was given his normal male clothing from Saki. Lu'xi is Luxuria, the Lusting. After experiencing a break-up from many a man and woman alike, he was granted the ability to control his hormones, effectively changing him from a guy to a girl. He desires eternal love, though the love he experiences is ironically short lasting.

"But we all do it for Master Grima," Luxuria said in a suave accent, "For he put mercy upon us and gave us a greater purpose."

"To usher an age of intellectual superiority," Saki said with a smile.

"For the world to be my play place," Apep snickered.

"To be part of the greatest harem in all of the world."

* * *

**Sena's View**

Flying sure is fun. I like having Grima Wings, making it much more fun to just fly around as opposed to walking. Of course, I walk when I'm around public, but barely anyone knows of my powers; only my group, King Validar, and Aversa.

I flew over Plegia Castle; my King's residence resting upon Grima's skull. I'm gonna have to stay in the castle for a while, though, I have bigger plans for our Shepherds.

_What's your dream, Sena? _The memory of a certain elder still echoed in my mind.

_My dream? My dream..._

"Eh, who cares about dreams?!" I spat to myself as I skydived toward the castle roof.

When I got close, I used telekinesis to hover over the roof just as I got close.

"Dreams? They're all dead to me," I gritted my teeth and spat on the roof, "My dream is to kill all dreams. Isn't that right..."

She turned to her left and saw a man wielding a blade with his left hand, and another hooded figure with only a big smile on his face. The man with the blade had empty eyes; void of soul.

"Nate-honey?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Now that Valm is over, the Grimleal Arc's curtains shall unveil. The 3rd last arc has come. The 2nd last will be more original, while the final will be incredibly different, yet similar to the final arc of the game.**

**I'll probably be very busy with real life activities after this. I'm gonna try to write as much as I can before the semester starts. Merry Christmas :D, and I promise a new chapter near the new years.**


	39. Opening the Act

**Chapter 36**

**Opening the Act**

**Sena's View**

**Altar of Grima**

My name is Sena. I am the Hierophant of my cult: The Grimleal. While I'm regarded in high position for my leadership, and my ferocity, I like to hang out with my friends and go to a local alehouse for fun. Sometimes, I find my job boring, but, I still need to stay loyal to my master.

"Hierophant, we've kidnapped an Ylissean family coming in," a man in bone armor said, "They threatened the fall of our cult, so we apprehended them and decided we should feed our lord with their life force."

I unsheathed my ceremonial knife from my hip and looked at it. It was short, curved, and very sharp. It reminds me of the time before I became the Hierophant. I looked at the Ylissean family, weeping as they held a child. I grabbed my knife and twirled it as I approached the family.

"You threatened us?" I glared at them, "How?"

"W-we never did... they w-were just bandits who wanted to kill us," the father said.

I looked at their child, who was constantly crying. It annoyed me, but I felt like I needed to make a decision.

"Have you been traumatized before?" I asked both parents.

"... P-please don't kill us!"

"... Fine. Besides, our quota was only one person," I shrugged and lunged at them.

They screeched in horror, but blood didn't shed from their innocent skin. The man who brought them here died from a knife in his head. I stood over his corpse and stomped on his chest, forcefully launching out the knife from his wound. I grabbed the knife and swung off the blood before sheathing it.

"Go away, now," I said coldly, "Only Master Grima absorbs the strong and able. You're past your prime, oldies."

I looked at the rest of the Grimleal, all cloaked in hoods. I unsheathed my knife and pointed it at them.

"Listen up, I don't give a shit about who to sacrifice. I choose who I want. The Hierophant is closest to the Master than you guys, so don't give me any of your shitty judgement."

I sheathed my knife as I dragged the man's corpse. This man was a bandit who joined the Grimleal just to slaughter people. He may have been fearsome, but he was nonetheless a hooligan. I threw his corpse into a cauldron exuding a purple flame. As his ashes dissipated, red dots scattered out like fireflies. They slowly rose up high into the air.

"Imprison them for the next sacrifice," I said, "Return the kid to Ylisse. A baby isn't a worthy sacrifice."

* * *

**Many years ago**

I remembered that day. I was always raised with the common rule of take what you want, care less about the victim. I was 5 years old back then, and I killed a man after he stole the food I was about to steal. Death rates were rather high in here because murder was usually promoted by the Grimleal. I hated religion because a few of my "friends" would say it's nothing but spiritual slavery. My parents were cousins married together, and I was born an inbred. After 3 years, they finally gave up on me and left me on the street.

I always had an out-of-place eye, but, I didn't have any mental degradation. I was made fun of by bystanders, beaten up. After realizing how ugly I was, I decided to cut off my eye; my right eye was stronger anyway.

As years passed by, I managed to learn how to fight with a blade more properly; I started to kill Plegian Heroes with a simple knife at the age of 13. What drove me was the hatred I possessed toward everything. Throughout my childhood, everyone wanted me to stop because I was "ugly". They thought that just because I was an inbred, meant I was inferior. Those assumptions cost them dearly. I killed even my "friends" because they called me an abomination. Everyone was being abominations of their own ego.

No one wanted to empathize with me that time. One of the reasons was my so called "boyfriend". He claimed to care for me, protect me, fund me on my own "assignments", which involve murdering anyone I despised. He showed care for me... or so I thought. He actually sent me to be executed by the Grimleal; finding me a great sacrifice for a dumb dragon bent on destroying the world. Screw him, I will destroy the world. I was imprisoned for a whole month, but then, a tyrannical king went into power. I forgot what his name was, but he was a cruel warlord. He decided to release all the prisoners, conscripting them into soldiers. I fought him, though, I lost, mostly because he knew how a "bandit from the low-sands" fights.

On that day, we were sent to the Eastern Coast of the continent, headed toward Valm. I killed anything in my way; ally or enemy. We lost in the end. I was mutilated, and I about to be executed. They tie ropes on my limbs and use their horses to pull them. It was excruciating as they slowly tore me apart. I screamed, I cried. I cried tears, which eventually ran out, as blood began to seep out. I "died" that time... until someone came along. Validar, a high priest in the Grimleal, came to me. I had no arms or legs, but he saw me as his own daughter. When he used his Book of Grima on me, I thought he would finish me. The Book of Grima actually helped me. He told me that I've been "reawakened" through Grima's will; my body restored through his power. I felt my limbs regenerate, though, I felt something had been thrown away.

I realized that I've received a fragment of Grima's body, gathering his powers as well. I could transform my limbs into Grima's claws, arms, or many different fleshy weaponry. I've also inherited his blood.

He made me a Hierophant of his cult. After a few years of working as a Hierophant, I was met with 3 apprentices, introduced through Validar. According to them, I've met them before, yet at the same time, didn't. I didn't get it at first, but they eventually grew to be my closest allies. I hated them at first, mostly because I was very edgy that time, but then I realized their loyalty and unwavering will under my leadership, which eventually blossomed to friendship. Through that little character development, I've become the spunky girl that I am.

During those years, I've discovered a scary power lying within my blood. When I was executing a peasant who raped a Grimleal member, I made him vanish from existence. It was a public execution. When I killed him, no one knew why they were here. When I tried to tell them who I executed, they had no idea who the victim was. It was then I realized that I have the power to "kill" the time of someone. For some reason, my friends knew of this guy; they were watching the execution. Saki theorized that we were of Time Dragon blood, but mine was much more "pure" to mess with time. I didn't care where I got it from. With this power, I feel like I can truly do anything I want. But of course, power properly used is an even scarier power.

* * *

**Back to the present**

"Heya, Nate," I said to the son of my good ol' friend, Alec, "How ya feelin'?"

Nate was silent.

He was in a Wyvern Lord's attire in his own variation that he wore during his time with his dad. His breastplate was as thick as most Wyvern Lords, but his was slightly less thick to compliment his more swift fighting style with the sword. He had no left shoulder plate, but has an incredibly large right spaulder. Intricate, it had a purple tribal pattern and shaped similar to a wyvern skull. His right hand was mostly armored and adorn with a shield. He didn't have a loincloth like the usual Wyvern Lords, but it was replaced with a series of belts, each holding a scabbard. He has one large sword and two smaller swords on his right hip. He finished his bottom attire with the common black baggy pants and armored boots.

Nate's body was overall toned through war and training; I could fall in love with him. His hair is medium length; short, spiky, and styled in a fauxhawk.

"Well, good news! I have a plan for you, baby," I said with a grin.

My arm formed into a gigantic worm and coughed out the helm of a Berserker. I transformed my worm hand back into my normal hand and showed him the helmet.

"You see, I accidentally killed my own top soldier after he kidnapped an innocent family; they'll be executed later, so..."

"Let me guess, I'm going to take over?" he said coldly.

With a brief raspberry, I put my arm around his shoulders and shook my head.

"Can you read my mind or something, or are you possessed?" I laughed.

"But here's a mission," I said to him, "I have a special agent taking care of another thing to destroy his life, but I want you to do something else..."

I snickered to myself as I told him my plot. Alec thinks he's all tactical and genius-y, but I can be like that too.

* * *

**Alec's View**

**Ylisstol**

It had been a month after Valm's Conquest ended. Say'ri's study of politics paid off, as her diplomacy with the Valmese have succeeded. She has earned Chon'sin's independence as well as allegiance with the Kingdom of Valm. After rebuilding most of the countries conquered and plundered by Walhart's force, The Valmese and the other nations formed the Valmhart Coalition, in memory of the previous Emperor. Valm is temporarily a democracy, finding the next emperor in line to lead the Valmese.

Nate had gone missing, but Frederick and Chrom advised me to stay away from Plegia until he says so. Plegia is still suspicious, especially with Validar ruling.

Cynthia's legs were healed by Lissa, but she suffered depression for the whole journey. Through maternal love and care, we stood strong by her through her self pity and outbursts, which paid off with her coming back to her senses.

While Walhart could have been healed and rejuvenated, Chrom and Say'ri felt like Walhart wanted to die, as he'll roam around the world as a monster. Walhart wanted to kill that monster, but he became the thing he wanted to kill. While he suddenly told Chrom about his story, he had already run out of tears to shed, as monsters are born when they have none left. While his end was sad, he died happy, knowing his monstrosity has ended.

We took a rest in Ylisstol before we set for Plegia. My two daughters came to the house that Sumia and I reside in. It was quite a large house, but it wasn't as big and fancy as common mansions. We both love our humble lives in a middle-class house. My daughters were fascinated by our household.

"Does anything here remind you of your home in the future?" I asked my daughters, "... before it got destroyed of course."

Cynthia shone a cute smile at me and nodded. Her legs were immediately treated and healed through Lissa's staff.

"Well, you had an office that also doubled as a personal library," she said, "I remembered you bringing my little sis there while you read stories to her."

"I don't remember much..." Morgan frowned for a while before shifting into her usual smile, "but I'm glad to know that I spent time with father."

"We have 3 days until we march toward Plegia, Morgan," I said to her, "We'll relax for a while, then we need to train."

Morgan frowned for a while from hearing this.

"Something tells me that Plegia might prepare something even more dangerous than Valm..." I said, "If we're not ready, who knows what Validar might throw at us?"

"... I really have nothing to say since I have no memories of anything..." Morgan said with a frown, "Though, from what I heard from Lucina, you went missing when Chrom died, so we had to be raised by Sumia..."

"What?!"

"... I don't know," she was a bit nervous.

"All this time nonsense doesn't make sense," I said to myself, "If Lucina knew what happened in the future, how was she raised by Chrom?! Could it be that we raised our children at..."

I sighed in defeat from all this time nonsense.

"Geez, it's like we're in a bad game," I sighed, "But it's still not gonna prevent me from preparing for what Plegia might throw at us."

While Cynthia was with my wife, Morgan was utterly confused from my blubbering. She reacted with a raised brow.

"But, before we train, how about you try some of my cooking?" Morgan said with a grin, "Brady said I was good at it, you know~"

She blushed at that last sentence. Brady is a cool dude, but I hope he doesn't hurt my Morgan with his uncouth mouth.

"Well, I've been hungry ever since we came home," I mumbled to myself, "Sure."

Morgan clapped her hands in enthusiasm and rushed to the kitchen. She peaked her head out of the kitchen entrance and looked at me with a quizzical look.

"Hey, father, can you teach me how to make spaghetti?" she asked me, "I heard from mother that it's quite a delight."

I smiled and accompanied her to the kitchen.

"First, you must..."

* * *

**Sena's View**

"Here you go~" I said gleefully as I held a bowl of spaghetti, "This is celebratory spaghetti for our new member: Nate!"

Everyone gathered at the Dragon's Table... nearby the Dragon's Table. My crew each grabbed a portion and they all went to eating. Nate, despite his usual edgy 'hypnotized state, ate it with a big smile. It's as if he had a portion of his personality kept.

"... It reminds me of home," Nate said with a mouthful of spaghetti, "Where did you learn how to cook this?"

"Hotrealm," I said with a giggle.

"I see..."

"You know, I always loved this spaghetti, grandma," Apep said teasingly.

"While I prefer using my enzyme generator to sustain my longevity, I can't resist the taste of your flavourful stringed wheat," Saki said with a calm smile.

"Your spaghetti is divine, milady," Lu'xi said, wearing a purple sweater and a black skirt.

"Thank you, Lux," I said with joy.

Validar and Aversa was also eating my spaghetti, and surprisingly, their stoic and edgy faces were replaced with faces of joy from my food.

"This is one of our last meals before the new year, fellas," I said to them with joy.

"New years?" Nate said with a raised brow.

"Isn't it-" I blocked Aversa's mouth before she could speak.

"The author promised a chapter for the New Years, and we're gonna celebrate it with some spaghetti!" I said as I tossed out confetti, "But, this is also to open the curtain for our next arc in the story. We need to enjoy as much as possible before going to work, guys."

I pulled a glass to me through telekinesis and filled it with some wine that I also pulled to me via telekinesis.

"Raise your glasses," I announced, prompting the others to do the same with their wine glasses (with little Apep the exception)

"To Grima's Resurrection?"

"To Grima's Resurrection!" We all shouted.

"... and to the New Years..."

"DAMMIT, SENA!" Validar shouted in comedic rage as he tossed his plate up high.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

**Happy New Year, and Happy beginning of the Plegia Arc.**

**School will happen again next week, so I'll be super busy once again. I hope you stick around, readers, my fic will end in 10 or a bit more chapters.**

**I really have nothing more to say, but yeah. Peace out for a bit. I'll see you again sometime.**


End file.
